SPONSORS — Anthony Mougianis, co-chair of the 38th-annual Holy Trinity Greek Festival, stood with representatives of the festival’s main sponsor, Capital Health Care Network, and subsidiary sponsor, Trinity Health System. From left are Jessica Kelley, Trinity community outreach specialist; Jaime Herald, Capital administrator; Alisa DelGuzzo, Capital community director of marketing; Mougianis; Abby Manni, Capital community liaison; Laurie Labishak, Trinity marketing director; Jamie Pykosz, Capital administrator, and Michelle Spencer, Capital community liaison. -- Christopher Dacanay

STEUBENVILLE — The Ohio Valley is about one week away from the 38th-annual Holy Trinity Greek Fest, to which everyone is invited for fellowship and to have a taste of Greek culture, organizers said Monday.

Serving as Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church’s principal fundraiser, the festival has expanded to become a summer staple in Steubenville, offering food, music and dancing centered around the church family’s place of worship.

Festivities will take place June 12, 13 and 14 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the church, 300 S. Fourth Street, with activities occurring in the parking lot and indoor Hellenic Hall.

Holy Trinity’s parishioners are “so excited” to present this year’s festival, said Anthony Mougianis, festival co-chair with his wife, Tara. He noted this is the festival’s second year going full steam ahead since the COVID-19 pandemic “threw us for a loop.”

“We’re thrilled to bring this back to the community,” Mougianis said. “We (the parish) have always said, ‘We are small in numbers but mighty in strength.’ We have very passionate Greek parishioners here in Steubenville. … Our numbers have shrunk for a lot of reasons, so it’s tougher to put (the festival) on each year, but the passion keeps pulling us through, and our community looks forward to this, so we very much feel an obligation to kick the summer off every year.”

Members of the church, which opened in 1945, began preparing handmade pastries for the festival in January, Mougianis said. Both street food and à la carte dishes will be sold, including everything from grape leaves to baklava sundaes. New this year will be souvlaki, which is marinated pork served on a skewer.

Each day, the festival will have live music all day, as well as Greek dancers from 7 p.m. until closing. Mougianis said the festival may continue later each night depending on the “kefi,” or Greek spirit of “excitement” that propels the party onward.

Mougianis said the church is expecting record crowds, possibly exceeding last year’s count of 20,000 attendees.

“Get fired up,” Mougianis told the Ohio Valley. “We’re really looking forward to seeing everyone.”

The festival is made possible through a long list of sponsors, Mougianis said, including its main sponsor, Capital Health Care Network, and subsidiary sponsors, Trinity Health System and Theo Yianni’s.

This is the third year of support from Capital, noted Alisa DelGuzzo, community director of marketing.

“Capital Health Care feels privileged to be able to sponsor the Greek Fest year after year,” DelGuzzo said. “We are happy to give back to the community and appreciate the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church giving back as well.”

Angie Mahfood, Holy Trinity parishioner and community liaison, said the festival is “a lot of hard work, but we enjoy it very, very much.”

“It’s our culture and our tradition that we want to keep going at the church,” said Mahfood, whose father was one of the church’s founders and a Greek schoolteacher. “We all come together. Everybody has a talent, so everyone’s talent is used. That’s what God gave us.”

Mahfood encouraged individuals to come and enjoy the “kefi,” which she defined as “good time,” and added, “We may even break some dishes for you, too.”