St. Barbara hosts 42nd annual Greek Festival all weekend

Members of the church come together to celebrate their faith and their Greek culture.

By Madison Bierl
| 3:04 p.m. February 20, 2026

St. Barbara's Hellenic Folk Dance Group member Harrison Barakos gives a wave, while being cheered on by fellow dancers Maria Stylianoudakis and Gianni Cappelluti, as his name is called at the St. Barbara 42nd annual Greek Festival.

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For Harrison Barakos, dance is a form of self expression and a way to connect with his Greek culture.

“We’re super proud of all the work we have put in — all the countless nights and hours of practice,” said Barakos, who performs with the St. Barbara's Hellenic Folk Dance Group. “It connects all of us to our histories and keeps our faith and culture close to us.”

The St. Barbara 42nd annual Greek Festival, a celebration of food, music, dance and more, continues 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday Feb. 21-22 after the festival opened on Friday with a full day of entertainment at St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church.

Tickets are $5, good for the entire weekend. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee.

Anna Maria Antony, another dancer with the St. Barbara's Hellenic Folk Dance Group, said she loves how Greek culture, especially dancing, brings people together.

“It makes you feel alive,” Antony said. “It makes you feel Greek. It connects us and unites us as one. If someone knows a dance, you can join in and soon enough everyone starts dancing.”

Nick Rantis, the event chair, first experienced the festival in 2013. Since 2022, he has chaired it and worked to enhance the experience each year. He said the quality of the food and entertainment is second to none. But that isn’t what is important to him.

“We have between 8,000 and 9,000 people who come and the great majority of them are people who have been here for many years,” Rantis said. “We appreciate all of the support from all these people over the years.”

Rev. Kyriakos Hambos, who has been at St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church since March of last year, was experiencing his first Greek festival.

“The Greek festival is a beautiful opportunity for us to invite people to our home to showcase our community, our faith and, of course, our people," Hambos said. "I am honored to be a part of this community, to watch everybody work together, and show the world how much we love them,"

The festival is especially important to Tina Whyte, who danced in the very first festival 42 years ago. Her daughter, Paulina, brings tears to Tina’s eyes when she dances at the festival. Tina Whyte appreciates how much all of the dancers enjoy being part of it.

“We're all like one big, happy family,” Whyte said. “We all come together once a year to put this on for our church.”

Zach Kallis and Steve Zeris, members of the church who have been part of the festival since 1994, are in charge of pan frying the Greek goat cheese called Saganaki.

Pat Trempelas and Kalla Amoratis volunteer at the pastry booth, which includes a variety pack of sweets, Tsoureki Sweet Bread and cookies called Koulouria.

Paulina Whyte, Melyna Stylianoudakis and Anna Maria Antony perform as part of the St. Barbara's Hellenic Folk Dance Group at the St. Barbara 42nd Annual Greek Festival.

Dino Theofilos plays keyboard and Simos Nikolopoulos plays bouzouki as part of the band Ellada at the St. Barbara 42nd Annual Greek Festival.

Katerina Papadopoulou sings as part of the band Ellada at the St. Barbara 42nd Annual Greek Festival.

Thelma Hunter and Spiro Anthopolos are volunteering by making gyros, but can't help but grab a taste themselves.

The dinner entree of oven roasted lamb shank, rice, green beans and a roll is among the many food options available at the St. Barbara 42nd Annual Greek Festival.

Volunteer Chair Marilyn Blazakis, George Karabatsos and Denise Chimbos are eager to celebrate their Greek heritage at the St. Barbara 42nd Annual Greek Festival.

Saganaki, a Greek goat cheese, is a popular appetizer commonly pan-fried and known for its crispy exterior and melted interior.

Rev. Fr. Kyriakos Hambos and Nick Rantis, the chairperson of the St. Barbara 42nd Annual Greek Festival, are glad so many are able to attend and embrace food, faith and people of Greek culture.

Dina Hobson, a past president and member of St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church, hands out grapes and Ravani, a cake from northern Greece.

Sarasota's Ron and Pat Pantello purchase Baklava and Galatoboureko from the pastry booth at the St. Barbara 42nd Annual Greek Festival. Ron is half Greek and has been eating Greek food for 70 years and doesn't plan to stop anytime soon.

A staple in Greek cuisine, which is available at the St. Barbara 42nd Annual Greek Festival, is the gyro. The gyro is made of seasoned beef and lamb meet, pita bread, tomato, onion and tzatziki sauce.

The St. Barbara 42nd Annual Greek Festival is a celebration of Greek culture — including food, music, dance and more — right here in the United States. Nick Rantis, the chair person of the event, says the goal is to make it feel like attendees are in Athens.

Elizabeth Robinson, who is visiting from Minneapolis, is eager to wear her new ring she purchased from one of the 30 vendors at the St. Barbara 42nd Annual Greek Festival.

Peter Lykiardopoulos, Gianni Cappelluti and Harrison Barakos are part of the St. Barbara's Hellenic Folk Dance Group to perform at the St. Barbara 42nd Annual Greek Festival.

Tina Whyte, a member of the church, was one of the first dancers to perform at the annual event in 1984. She danced every year until 1989 and now her daughter Paulina is doing the same.

St. Barbara's Hellenic Folk Dance Group performs Greek dances traditionally performed at festivals, weddings and social gatherings on the first day of the St. Barbara 42nd Annual Greek Festival.

author

Madison Bierl

Madison Bierl is the education and community reporter for the East County Observer. She grew up in Iowa and studied at the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication at Iowa State University.