Marlborough – Saints Anargyroi Greek Orthodox Church, 9 Central St., Marlborough, will host its annual Labor Day Greek Festival Saturday, Aug. 31, to Monday, Sept. 2.
Hundreds of volunteers are ready to welcome guests with great homemade Greek foods, pastries, Greek beers and wines and entertainment.
Food is at the heart of the weekend’s events. The Marlborough festival has earned a reputation for their famous lamb shanks. The huge 1 ½ pound shanks are slow-cooked for eight hours and are made fresh daily. The shanks are served with homemade Greek style green beans in a light tomato sauce and rice. All of the meats, including pork, chicken and lamb are all fresh, hand cut and marinated in house. A la carte items include Spanakopita (spinach pie), Pastitsio (baked macaroni with three kinds of cheese), meatballs in a light tomato sauce, roasted potatoes, stuffed grape leaves and Greek salad. The gyros are topped off with real Tzatziki (a garlic, cucumber yogurt sauce). There are also hot dogs cooked to order. For dessert, there are fried dough balls dipped in real honey syrup or Baklava sundae. There will also be a wide assortment of Greek pastries and the very popular Frappe (Greek frothed iced coffee).
Beverages include Greek and American beers, Greek wines and Sangria, as well as Metaxa, Ouzo, Retsina and Tsipouro.
Live Greek bands will perform on Saturday and Sunday nights until 11 p.m. Marlborough’s well-known Greek DJ, George “Regas” Regan, will provide entertainment throughout the weekend.
In addition, two different dance troupes, dressed in authentic costume, will perform over the weekend at 3 and 5 p.m.
Church tours will be regularly scheduled. Many people have never been inside an Orthodox church, so it is an opportunity for guests to understand how symbolism, icons and 2,000 years of tradition come together.
Admission is free and the event will be held rain or shine, with indoor and outdoor seating.
