Saturday, September 19, 2026

Pasadena Greek Festival Runs Through Sunday With Food, Dance and a New Second Stage

The Pasadena Greek Festival reaches its final day Sunday, Sept. 20, closing a three-day run at Saint Anthony Greek Orthodox Church with Greek food, dance performances and an evening raffle.

The festival is open from noon to 10 p.m. Sunday at the church, 778 S. Rosemead Blvd. in east Pasadena. Admission is $5, and children under 12 enter free; wine tastings are separately ticketed.

Sunday’s program includes Greek mixology at 5 p.m., church tours at 5 and 7 p.m., a dance performance at 8 p.m., and the raffle winner announced at 8 p.m. New this year, the festival added a second stage for cooking demonstrations, cookbook signings and music built around the bouzouki.

Organizers date the festival to 1959 and say it draws more than 10,000 people a year to the east Pasadena church grounds, about 90 percent of them neither Greek nor Orthodox, with more than 200 parish volunteers running it. 

“Everything really is made with love by people in our community, and I think guests feel that,” said Vicki Kades, community communications coordinator for the festival.

The menu runs from gyro and souvlakia to roasted lamb, moussaka and pastichio, with pastries including baklava, loukoumades and galaktoboureko; vegetarian dishes are offered and vegan options are limited. A Zorba Dance Competition, Greek dance lessons for all skill levels and a children’s Kidzone round out the program.

Kades said some parish families were affected by the January 2025 fires and that the festival offers a sense of normalcy. “There’s something comforting about coming back to something that has been part of Pasadena for generations, seeing familiar faces, sharing a meal, hearing music, and simply being together,” she said.

The festival is rain or shine. Free parking and shuttle service run from Gate 3 of Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, with coach buses about every 15 minutes. Trained service animals are permitted; other pets are not.

Pasadena Greek Festival, final day Sunday, Sept. 20, noon to 10 p.m. Saint Anthony Greek Orthodox Church, 778 S. Rosemead Blvd., Pasadena. For more, call (626) 449-6943 or visit https://www.pasadenagreekfest.com. Admission: $5; children under 12 free.