COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Opa! The Columbus Greek Festival is returning this weekend, marking 50 years celebrating the culture and ancestry of Greece.
The annual festival runs from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon to 11 p.m. Sunday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday on the grounds of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral at 555 N. High St. Festivalgoers will get an authentic taste of Grecian culture, with handmade food, pastries, live dance and music, cathedral tours and more.
Admission is valid for the entire weekend. Tickets are available for $5 for adults, while senior citizen tickets are $4 and children under 12 are free.
Greek gourmet foods will be available all weekend, including a doughy spanakopita with a blend of spinach and cheeses, a layered macaroni called pastitsio with a tomato-cinnamon meat sauce, gyros topped with a cucumber-sour cream sauce, a shish kebab marinated in lemon called souvlaki and a classic Greek salad with traditional dressing topped with feta cheese and black olives.
The festival would not be complete without hand-crafted Greek delicacies. Guests will find baklava layered with butter and walnuts topped with Greek syrup, kataifi baked with butter and dipped in honey, tsourekia sweet bread and much more.
Greek folk dancers will perform in traditional dress throughout the weekend. (Courtesy Photo/Columbus Greek Festival) 
Baklava is a must-do treat for visitors at the festival this weekend. (Courtesy Photo/Columbus Greek Festival) 
Greek folk dancers will perform in traditional dress throughout the weekend. (Courtesy Photo/Columbus Greek Festival) 
Spanakopita, a blend of spinach and cheese wrapped in a buttered dough. (Courtesy Photo/Columbus Greek Festival) 
Greek folk dancers will perform in traditional dress throughout the weekend. (Courtesy Photo/Columbus Greek Festival) 
The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral will be open for tours throughout the weekend. (Courtesy Photo/Columbus Greek Festival)
A specialty light lager will also be available, brewed only for the festival’s 50th anniversary. View details about festival dining here.
Greek folk dancers will be performing in full traditional dress throughout the weekend and guests will have the opportunity to learn the dances, as well. The Hellenic Singers will also be performing throughout the festival weekend, singing Greek folk songs. View details about the performances here.
Vendors will line the streets with imported Greek items including jewelry, clothing, artwork and more. View details about the festival shops here.
The cathedral will be open throughout the weekend for guests to tour the structure, made of detailed mosaics and marble that honor the Orthodox faith. View details on the tours here.
Visitors are encouraged to park in the lots surrounding the Greater Columbus Convention Center. View a map here.
