CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The 56th Annual Greek Festival kicks off Friday evening, and one woman has been there since its humble beginning.
Olga Plomarity has been in attendance at the event since she was 2 years old, and now, she runs the show. Plomarity coordinates everything from the festival logistics to the food it serves, which includes Souvlaki and Baklava, of course!
The gathering began in 1963 with just a few hundred pastries made by a member of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. Since then, it has grown into a huge event with music, food and dancing.
She says people from different backgrounds join in on the festival. An estimated 5,000 meals are now served up each year.
"The more we see someone enjoying themselves, the more we want to do something," Plomarity said. "It's the Greek café, the Greek mentality. We enjoy dancing, cooking, and especially eating. You cannot go and visit a Greek person without being served something."
The festival's newest addition is a partnership with their neighbor Nueces Brewing Company, who crafted a special Greek lager just for the event.
The festival has experienced a lot of growth over the years, and Plomarity says the kids of the Greek parish plan to follow in her footsteps some day.
The Greek Festival begins Friday at 5 p.m. and goes until 10 p.m. at the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church on S. Chaparral Street and will continue all weekend long.
For more info and the full schedule click here.
