St. George Orthodox Church in Fishers is throwing open its doors for a three-day festival running Friday, September 18, through Sunday, September 20, marking the 27th year of the celebration and the 100th anniversary of the parish itself. Organizers expect between 7,000 and 8,000 attendees to sample Middle Eastern food, watch folklore dancing, listen to live music and tour a sanctuary modeled after the Hagia Sophia.
According to WISH-TV, the celebration is part of “a century legacy of faith, fellowship and community” while sharing its culture with the community. The event also honors the church's history, with organizers inviting visitors to try new foods, learn about Middle Eastern traditions and experience the congregation's culture firsthand, the outlet reports. Nearly 350 volunteers reportedly spent months preparing for the celebration.
A Century That Started on North Davidson Street
St. George's roots trace back to 1919, when early Syrian and Lebanese immigrants gathered at a purchased Syrian American Social Club on North Davidson Street in Indianapolis before raising funds for a freestanding church, according to the Encyclopedia of Indianapolis. Central Indiana's first known Arabic-speaking Orthodox Christian immigrants had arrived from Lebanon decades earlier, in 1890, per the same source. WISH-TV reports the parish was established by Christian immigrants from Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan.
The Knights of St. George launched a $15,000 fundraising campaign for the parish's first building in 1925, and Indiana Governor Edward Jackson became the first contributor to sign their petition, according to Arab Indianapolis. Jackson reportedly sought to demonstrate public inclusivity during an era of strong Ku Klux Klan political influence in Indiana at the time. That first church building opened at 2745 N. Sherman Drive in Indianapolis, according to the Encyclopedia of Indianapolis, and the congregation officially incorporated in April 1927 under the name St. George Syrian Antiochian Church Indianapolis, anchoring its identity to the ancient Patriarchate of Antioch headquartered in Damascus, according to the Encyclopedia of Indianapolis.
From Sherman Drive to a Hagia Sophia-Inspired Dome in Fishers
Parish women established the St. George Ladies' Aid Society on March 20, 1932, under first president Katherine Freije, organizing mercy meals, fundraising and parish social life, according to St. George Orthodox Church. The group also helped build the Knights of St. George Hall alongside the original church. Three decades later, the parish consecrated its second church and social hall in 1962 before breaking ground in Fishers in 2012, per the Encyclopedia of Indianapolis.
The parish later moved to Hamilton County. The $7 million Fishers facility, which opened in May 2014 as the parish's third building, spans 22,000 square feet and features a modern Byzantine design modeled after the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey. WISH-TV describes the church as known for its distinctive dome, and visitors touring the sanctuary during the festival can expect to see interior iconography painted by a team of Greek iconographers, according to Visit Hamilton County, IN. Orthodox iconography is designed to reflect Eastern Christian theology by depicting biblical stories and saints, per the same listing.
What's on the Menu, and What's Next for the Parish
Festival food will include gyros, chicken sandwiches and kebab sandwiches, alongside grape leaves, rice bowls, falafel sandwiches, hummus, cheese bread and za'atar bread, WISH-TV reports. For dessert, attendees can find butter cookies, katayef and baklava, with katayef described as a pancake-style dough filled with walnuts and cinnamon. The festival also offers vegetarian and gluten-free options, along with a kids area, folklore dancing, live music and church tours, the outlet notes.
The festival is one piece of a bigger centennial year. The parish's celebrations are set to culminate in October 2026 with a mortgage burning ceremony on October 3, followed by the consecration of the church building and a centennial gala on October 10, according to St. George Orthodox Church. The parish is also publishing a book documenting its iconography and history, per the church.
Part of a Regional Fall Tradition
St. George's festival shares traditional cuisine and music with the public.
For St. George, this year's gathering carries extra weight, welcoming people not just to eat and dance but to witness a congregation share its culture and traditions with future generations. Organizers frame the festival as both a celebration and an invitation, according to WISH-TV, one built by nearly 350 volunteers who spent months getting ready to honor a century of history in Fishers.
