31st Taste of Greece Festival Celebrates Through Food, Dance, and Community

Spanakopita, pastichio, dolmades, oh my!

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluthians from eight months to 98 years old lined up at Marshall School for the 31st Annual Taste of Greece Festival over the weekend.

The two-day festival started out in the Twelve Holy Apostles Orthodox Church parking lot, but has grown over the decades to take over the Marshall School gymnasium and front lawn. Today, people came and went with plates overflowing with gyros, pastries, and more.

“We know very well that most people up here are not Greek,” said General Manager Gene Rebeck. “But for a day, you’re Greek!”

“It’s a chance for people to hang out together, eat good food, enjoy music, enjoy dancing, and just enjoy being with each other. It’s a very family-friendly event, very easy to get into. I think that’s why it’s one of the most popular summer festivals here in Duluth and we know that Duluth has a lot of festivals.”

Rebeck has been involved with the event since moving to Duluth 11 years ago. Volunteers from the church were busy cooking, serving, cleaning. He says the festival is a lot of hard work, but it’s all worth it in the end.

“Really I’d say it’s an act of love for our community and the people of Duluth and the Northland,” said Rebeck. “People just enjoy it and we enjoy doing it. The fact that there’s a lot of work does not deter us at all. It’s just a great joy for us to do it, a great joy to serve people, a great joy to watch people celebrate with us.”

He added that while this is the 31st Taste of Greece, the Twelve Holy Apostles Church has a much longer history with Duluth. The festival celebrates over 100 years of the Orthodox Christian congregation in Duluth, but also the community as a whole.