STEUBENVILLE — Members of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church have been working behind the scenes for months getting ready for Holy Trinity’s annual Greek festival, and this week you can reap the benefits of all that hard work.

Holy Trinity’s 39th annual Greek Festival opens at 11 a.m. today with a ribbon cutting in front of the church, 300 S. 4th Street, and they’ll present a $2,000 check to this year’s “honored non-profit” – AIM Women’s Center – in recognition of its “compassionate service to women and families in need.”

Anthony Mougianis, who chairs the event with wife Tara Dzvonick-Mougianis, describes it as a “joyful, three-day event filled with food, faith, music and fellowship.”

“This isn’t just a festival,” he said. “It’s a celebration of heritage and hospitality. Every year we strive to make it even more meaningful and memorable for all who attend.”

Now in its 39th year, he said more than 20,000 visitors a year flock to the festival at the church.

“What began as a small booth on Fourth Street has grown into a full city-block celebration,” he said.

This year’s festival will feature all the usual crowd pleasers, including traditional Greek dinners, stuffed gyros, crispy Greek fries and marinated souvlaki skewers while introducing festival-goers to some new, taste-tempting delights, like freshly squeezed lemonade and snow cones and a new Kafenio (a Greek café) serving hand-shaken frappes, as well as a selection of Greek and domestic wines and beers, including the legendary Mythos Beer from Greece, along with a variety of mixed drinks.

There will also be plenty of live entertainment: Sotiri will take the stage from noon to 5 p.m. all three days and The Greek Company Orchestra will play from 6 p.m. to closing. There will also be nightly traditional dance performances by troupes from Pittsburgh-area churches as well as Holy Trinity’s own Grecian Star Dancers.

Visitors also can tour the church with the Rev. Yanni Verginis acting as their guide or browse the gently used clothing and accessories available at Yiayia’s Boutique, he said. The Greek Marketplace is also back, featuring professional vendors from Pittsburgh, Florida and North Carolina with a selection of jewelry, Greek clothing, art and authentic imports.

Festival-goers will also find expanded indoor dining for a more comfortable experience and, beginning at midnight Tuesday, if you want to avoid the wait you’ll be able to order ahead at http://www.holytrinitygreekfest.com.

Festival hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. Admission and parking are free.