Last week, up to 20 volunteers and staff gathered at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Egg Harbor Township to make delectable desserts to be served at the annual Greek Winter Feast. Preparations are underway for the annual three-day event, which will include a plethora of authentic Greek foods, live entertainment, dancing, merchants, church tours and a festive atmosphere.
Now in its 16th year, the Greek Winter Feast is growing in popularity among area residents, with flavorful items on the menu all weekend long, including classic gyros, moussaka, shish kabobs, tyropita and baklava. There are plenty of specialty plates and pastries on the menu, along with several vegetarian items and drinks such as ouzo and traditional retsina wine.
Brian and Athena Sacco have lived in Egg Harbor Township and have been part of the congregation for nearly 20 years. They built their house just a short distance from the church grounds.
“Brian happened to be taking a bike ride one day and he saw them preparing for the June Festival,” Athena said. At the time, they were not parishioners and belonged to another church in Atlantic City. “He came here and said he wanted to be involved and that’s how it started.”
Today, Brian and Athena are active parishioners with the church. Brian serves as the festival chairman, planning events such as the Greek Festival in June; Athena is a member of the parish council.
One of the most popular items on the menu is galaktoboureko, a mouthwatering dessert made with a custard filling, wrapped in layers of phyllo dough, melted butter and lots of spices. Up to 50 trays of the dessert are being made for this year’s event.
Athena described the preparations as “kind of like an assembly line; every phyllo is counted so we have consistency.”
“Everybody has their task and everybody knows what they need to do, so for the most part, it runs pretty smoothly,” Brian added.
Each year, Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church hosts multiple events, including their annual Greek Fest in June and appearances at the Ocean City Spring and Fall Block Parties. Planning events of such scale takes a lot of work and preparation. Athena said their festival committee has 15 active members that meet regularly to discuss preparation details.
“We’re very community driven, and we welcome everybody to our Winter Feast,” she said.
In recent years, Holy Trinity has been on a mission to rebuild the existing sanctuary. So far, their capital campaign has risen to $3.5 million, with approximately 88% of the rebuilding efforts already fully funded.
Brian, who is also a member of the church’s building committee, estimates that construction will begin as early as next year. Proceeds from this year’s event will go toward the upcoming project. “It is a major accomplishment and a big celebration,” Athena said.
Since its founding in November 1982, Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church has been rooted in serving the community. The philanthropic work of the Philoptochos Society has increased over the years, welcoming new members regularly and supporting various charities throughout South Jersey, including monthly Peanut Butter & Jelly Nights to support Sister Jean’s Kitchen in Atlantic City, and participating in local walk-a-thons.
“You don’t have to be Orthodox to come and be part of our community,” said Athena.
The event will take place Friday, Jan. 30, from 5 to 10 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 31, from noon to 11 p.m.; and Sunday, Feb. 1, from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is free.
Holy Trinity is located at 7004 Ridge Ave. in Egg Harbor Township. Dine-in and takeout will be available. For more information call 609-653-8092, ext. 5. You can also view the full menu online at holytrinityeggharbor.com
Photos by Steffen Klenk
Steffen Klenk is a photographer and multimedia journalist who enjoys capturing the eclectic moments of shore life. You may contact Steffen at shorelocalsteffen@gmail.com.
