Greek Fest is rolling back onto Bayou St. John this Memorial Day weekend with some noticeable upgrades: new vegetarian plates, Penelope’s peach daiquiris and a festival-wide switch to cashless buying. The three-day celebration runs Friday through Sunday at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral and packs in live music, traditional dancing and the annual 5K run. Admission is $10 per day or $25 for a weekend pass, and children under 12 get in free. Organizers are planning for roughly 20,000 visitors over the long weekend.
Vegetarian plates, peach daiquiris and vendor updates
This year’s kitchen lineup adds a Papou’s Corner menu aimed squarely at meat-free festivalgoers, with options like chickpea salad, a marinated lentil-and-farro salad and roasted beet hummus to round out the usual grilled specialties. Penelope’s is also stepping in with peach daiquiris to go along with the pastries and other festival staples. These menu and vendor details were reported by Doug Maccash at NOLA.
Race day, early access and schedule
The Greek Fest Run & Walk gets things moving on Saturday, starting with a kids' mile and then the 5K, which is slated for an 8:30 a.m. start. Runners with bibs get early admission to the festival grounds, so they can go straight from the finish line to the food lines. According to Greek Fest Run & Walk, bibs come with two free entries and postrace perks, and packet pickup is held the day before the race. The festival opens to general admission at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
Cashless buying, parking and hours
Organizers are going fully cashless this year in an effort to speed up transactions and trim down the wait at food and drink booths, a tweak highlighted in local previews by Axios New Orleans. Shuttles will operate from the Wisner Lot at 5700 Wisner Blvd., and visitors are encouraged to plan on shuttle pick-up and drop-off, as outlined by Gray Line New Orleans. Festival hours are Friday 5–9 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.–9 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.–8 p.m.; more logistical details are available on the cathedral's event page at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral.
What to expect and where the festival fits
The festival's theme, "Your Odyssey Begins Here," paired with an anticipated crowd of about 20,000, helps explain the push to streamline operations while expanding meatless choices. "The best part is getting to come together and hang out with people we grew up with," volunteer Connie Kringas told NOLA. Between the 5K, the broadened food lineup and the new payment system, Greek Fest is leaning into both deep-rooted tradition and modern convenience this year.
