The St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church will be welcoming back the community to the Yassou Festival for the 40th year this year. Submitted photo

St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church is welcoming the community to come celebrate their Greek heritage as the Yassou Festival returns for the 40th year.

This year’s festival is set for Father’s Day weekend, June 14 and 15, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Jun 14 and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on June 15. The festival will take place outside St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 15 Francis Street, under the large tent. The event will be rain or shine, with admission costing three dollars for adults and free for ages 12 and under.

The 40th annual Yassou Festival promises the return of favorites such as traditional Greek food and desserts, George’s Famous Greek Hot Dogs, the Beer Tent, the Boutique, live Greek Bouzouki music, traditional Greek dancing, church tours and more. Cash and credit cards are accepted.

Alexis Singleton, one of the people helping organize the event, said to expect food, music, high energy and fun.

“We anticipate faster lines and lots more items at our boutique this year, including modern clothing and jewelry with a Greek Festival vibe,” Singleton said.

Singleton said for both the church and local community the Yassou Festival is important because it is a cherished annual tradition. It allows for the church to welcome the community to celebrate Greek culture.

“It’s a cherished annual meet and greet opportunity that gives the church community the opportunity to extend our hospitality to our friends and neighbors and share our culture in a vibrant way while keeping the tradition thriving for our youth and future generations,” Singleton said. “This is our 40th anniversary so essentially it is our third generation of parishoners involved in putting on the event. We think that is pretty special and it seems to provide value to the community as well as our own small parish who roll up their sleeves to keep an Orthodox Christian presence in Jamestown.”

While there are no specific big plans for the 40th anniversary, Singleton said community members should come out for the festival to enjoy Greek food made from scratch in an outdoor setting that is family friendly.

“I think the biggest reason people are glad they came and come back every year is because of the social experience,” Singleton said. “The combination of food, people, live music and dancing along with the unique environment mixes together to create a memorable experience.”

The live music and dancing along with the Greek scratch-made food sets the Yassou Festival apart from most other Greek festivals and summer events, Singleton said. Students from Jamestown High School and Panama Central School volunteer at the event as well, and Singleton said they always have a blast and work very hard over the span of the festival. Volunteers also include professionals and retirees, and many others.

“It’s pretty cool and gives us as the hosts the energy and support we need to keep hosting Yassou every year,” Singleton said.

She added that the volunteers that come from outside of the church are what really makes the event what it is.

“We have a small but extremely dedicated team that plans and produces the festival but the number of volunteers from outside the parish that whole heartedly give their time and energy is what makes the whole thing magic,” Singleton said. “There’s this excitement and energy about coming together and it creates something that is awesome to have a part in.”