THINGS-TO-DO

Flemington Opa! Greek Festival kicks off September 7

St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church
Special to the Courier News Home News Tribune
Inflatables, pony rides, face painting, and carnival games.

FLEMINGTON - The tradition continues with the upcoming 14th annual Flemington Opa! Greek Festival. The three-time winner of the “Best Foodie” event in Hunterdon will once again offer a celebration of Greek culture and fun for the whole family.

The event attracts thousands of people, young and old, from Hunterdon and surrounding counties in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and takes place every year on the weekend after Labor Day, at St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church, 85 Voorhees Corner Road in Raritan Township. Guests can enjoy delicious Greek food, entertainment, vendors, carnival games and prizes, inflatables, pony rides, and face painting are part of the fun.

“Preparations started in the spring,” Festival Chair Diana Grina said. “Parishioners have been working to secure the food ingredients, vendors, and sponsors that are necessary to make the event a success.”

For Greeks, the word Opa! is an exclamation of excitement for something wonderful and the Flemington Opa! Festival offers a wonderful time for family and friends.

Guests can dine outdoors or inside, savor Greek wine and beer, enjoy pastries with coffee or a glass of ouzo, the Greek anise-flavored aperitif. The parish Greek youth dance troupes will entertain throughout the weekend. The Funzone offers activities for kiddies and adults and the vendor fair offers a great shopping experience. The Vendor Fair includes representatives from a ange of businesses offering jewelry, fine art, health and beauty products, home improvement, and performing arts. Parking is free and onsite. Overflow parking is available at JP Case Middle School, and there is a courtesy shuttle.

Gyros are popular at the Flemington Opa! Festival.

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The parish is located off of Route 202 near the Flemington traffic circle. The Festival hours of operation are 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7, 12 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, and 12 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9.

Menu items include fresh-grilled meats, gyro sandwiches, roasted lamb shank, and traditional Greek oven specialties and pastries. Greek wine, beer, and ouzo, as well as soft drinks, are available. The full menu is available on the festival website at opafestival.com

“The centerpiece of our festival is our delicious gourmet Greek cuisine," Parish Council President John Kaldes said. "All of our food is prepared fresh for this event in our professional kitchen. People come from all over for the food experience and for a great day enjoying family and friends.”

New for this year will be tours of the recently beautified church interior featuring new iconography.

“I look forward to showcasing our beautiful church interior during the festival and explaining the significance of our new wall icon frescoes,” said the Rev. Economos Anastasios Kousoulas, pastor. “The festival is our parish’s most important fundraiser and fellowship experience. The whole community comes together and we are very grateful for the support of our guests.”

Fresh Loukoumades - Greek Fried Honey Puffs.

Each year the festival donates a portion of entrance collections to charity. This year Embrace Kids Foundation and the Flemington Raritan First Aid and Rescue Squad are the recipients. Embrace Kids Foundation exists to lighten the burden, maintain normalcy and improve the quality of life for families whose children are facing cancer, sickle cell and other serious health challenges. It supports patient families in the New Jersey/New York City metropolitan area and is based in New Brunswick.

The suggested festival entrance donation is $2 for adults and children over 12.

The event would not be possible without the community support, for which the parish is very grateful. The 2018 business sponsors at press time include:

Diamond Sponsor: EVCO Mechanical.

Platinum sponsors: City Erectors, Compass Rose Insurance, Countryside Funeral Parlor, Hunterdon Medical Center, and Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home.
Gold Sponsors: DPV Adjustment Services, Mavrode Farms, Shoprite of Flemington, Sneaker’s Plusand Swingset & Toy Warehouse.

Silver Sponsors: Dr. Alyson Agathis- DMD, Bongiovi Funeral Home, Cuny & Guerber, Dugan Financial Services, First Bank of Flemington, Flemington Circle Park Associates, Fred Beans Car Dealers, Holcombe-Fisher Funeral Home, Kearns Funeral Home, Limani Restaurant, Mountain View Chalet, Nutley Family Dentists, Scarponi Funeral Home, Schulman, Weigmann &Associates, Summit Plastic Surgery, and Time to Eat Diner.

Bronze Sponsors: Robert Bongiovanni- CPA, Flemington Department Store, Flemington Furs, Floors Direct, Imperial Paintings & Coatings, Loew Orthodontics, Magos Chiropractor, Newroads Financial Group, Piece of Cake.

Material Donors: Lead Donors include Bridgewater Diner, Brownstone Grill & Pub, Clinton Station Diner, Country Griddle, Flemington-Raritan Diner, and 78 Limo. Also contributing are Chili”s Flemington, Central Liquors, Clinton House, Clinton Towne Restaurant, Costco, Gotham City Diner, Karpathos Produce, Little Brothers Beverage Outlet, Park Wayne Diner, Park West Diner, Marco Polo Restaurant, Matt’s Red Rooster, Party Jam Amusements, Stoney Brook Grille, Washington Diner.

For further information visit www.opafestival.com, www.facebook.com/opafestival, or call the parish office 908-968-4004.