What's the Point?

Tallahassee Greek Food Festival is Not Worth Going

Photo by Frogses Production on Unsplash

The 43rd annual Tallahassee Greek Food Festival took place from Oct. 24 to 25. Hosted by the Holy Mother of God Greek Orthodox Church, the festival celebrates Greek culture through food, entertainment, shopping, and sharing of faith. However, aspects of the festival did not meet expectations due to long lines, uneventfulness and mediocre food.

The Greek festival drew large crowds, making the overall experience less enjoyable. It was difficult for visitors to walk around, and there were long lines for food. Clean, available spots to eat were not plentiful. There were even lines to exchange money at the ATM on site as most food stalls were cash only.

The festival was mostly uneventful. Besides food booths, there wasn’t much to do. As far as shopping goes, there were only two tents, with unappealing jewelry/accessories and home decor. There should have been clothes and more exciting merchandise. In the center of the festival was the Mother of God Greek Orthodox Church. Most Greeks are Orthodox Christian, and visitors were excited to see their culture featured inside the church. However, the church was small and offered little to do. The artwork was captivating, but most visitors only spent a few minutes looking around. The church did provide a break from the sweltering heat. Music played at the festival entrance, but it was drowned out by noise from the festival visitors. Inconveniently, dance performances were done every two hours even though most people didn’t stay for more than an hour.

The main attraction of Tallahassee’s Greek Food Festival was the food - salads, fries, souvlaki, gyro, dinner meals, desserts and more. The fries were the best food item; they were hot, fresh and loaded with seasonings - a festival favorite. However, other foods and their prices paled in comparison. The $12 gyro was bland, with small flavorless vegetables. It was no better than the $7 gyro meal served at Maclay’s cafeteria. Souvlaki was also offered - a charcoal grilled, marinated pork stick. It was flavorful; however, it had an unappetizing price of $7 for such a small portion of food. Similarly, the festival’s brick and mortar dining hall served three dinners ranging from $16-$17. Portions were small, flavorless, and the food was not unique.

Overall, the 2025 Tallahassee Greek Food Festival was subpar, with not much culture, shopping and entertainment. Greek food lovers are better off just getting food from a local Greek restaurant like Kairos Mediterranean, Yasou Fresh, Little Athens or even CAVA. These options not only avoid large crowds, but also provide lower prices and higher quality food.

<Star Ratings>

Food: ★★★★★

Pricing: ★★★★★

Culture: ★★★★★

Shopping: ★★★★★

Overall Rating: ★★★★★