“In Orthodox tradition, we tend to worship God with all five senses,” Presiding Priest Dionysios Lampropoulos said.

Knoxville’s 46th annual Greek Fest took place Sept. 26-28 at Saint George Greek Orthodox Church, combining lots of music, great food and plenty of people to help celebrate the culture.

Lampropoulos is a priest at Saint George Greek Orthodox Church. He said the festival originated with community in mind.

“The festival began as an outage to the local communities, especially here in the south. The first Orthodox communities were victims of segregation. So that was the way for the Greek Orthodoxes to introduce themselves to the broader community,” Lampropoulos said.

Walking in, you couldn’t miss the loud music as it made its way throughout the entire festival. Bands playing traditional Greek music featured the bouzouki, a traditional Greek instrument resembling a guitar.

While the band played, you could find people of all ages, mostly children, dancing and doing cartwheels around the dance floor as the crowd cheered for them.

One of the most popular traditions at Greek Fest every year — one that the church takes much pride in — is their traditional Greek dancers.

Winning two national championships, Maria Siopsis’ dance troupe has been training since they were nearly toddlers.

“It’s kind of the way we connected with each other,” Siopsis says. “Those dances make that connection for them in a neat way that connects them to their ancestors.”

Family is a monumental construct in Greek culture, and it was evident in so many ways throughout the community. Whether folks were giving their child a hug after a dance routine or offering a hand while cooking at one of the food tents, you could truly feel the familial bond that exists between everyone in the church.

Outside the church, Katie Shipe, the marketing director and one of the dance instructors at Saint George, explained that the familial bond isn’t just kept within the church’s community.

“There’s also this, like, outer circle that’s coming in and learning it (the culture) with us and it’s really, really cool,” Shipe said.

Food is also a crucial part of Greek culture. Food tents served traditional Greek cuisine, with endless options from pastries to pizza.

The unforgettable centerpiece of the festival stood right in the middle of the grounds. Tall and stately, the gorgeous parish was redone in 2019 after a devastating fire damaged the mosaics and structure of the church.

Walking inside, guests are immediately greeted with glass mosaics of what the church calls “icons.” People or objects that serve as a window to worship and prayer. When you look up to the sky, a Jesus mosaic is the crown jewel of the church.

The festival offers church tours to do a deeper dive into the history of the building, and it is one of Father Lampropoulos’ favorite traditions.

“We welcome people to walk in, to our sanctuary and see all of our traditions.” Lampropoulos said. “To encounter the faith in all our existence.”