Thousands are expected to attend the annual two-day Greek Festival which opened Friday at the Greek Orthodox Church of Transfiguration, 674 42nd St., Ogden.
The Rev. Angelo Michaels, priest at the church since 1983, said he and many of the 150 families in his congregation have been busy the past three weeks preparing a variety of Greek foods, including shishkabob, stuffed vine leaves, Greek meatballs and spinach-and-cheese pie for the festivities.One of his specialties he has made for the Greek Festival is sausage, using an old family recipe from his native land, the Greek island of Samos. He said the festival, which concludes today, opens at 10 a.m. and ends at 10 p.m.
In addition to a wide variety of Greek foods, breads, pastries and other treats and many authentic Greek handicrafts, the festival includes live musical entertainment, including a band and singers and dancers in native costumes.
The Rev. Michaels said people come from all over Utah and from neighboring states to visit the Greek Festival at his church each year. "Our festival started when our church was built 25 years ago and has been getting bigger and busier every year.
"When it started, in the basement of the church, the festival earned about $500. Today, the annual festival brings in from $50,000 to $75,000, which is used to support our church, missionary programs and many charities."
The Rev. Michaels, 39, came to the United States in 1964 at the age of 14, graduated from high school in New York City and earned a bachelor's degree in education at the City University of New York. He earned his master's degree in divinity at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary in Brookline, Mass., in 1983.
He will celebrate his sixth year at the Ogden church Monday. "I've been here longer than any priest before me and I would like to stay here a long time. I love Utah and the Ogden area, the people here and the climate. It is actually much like my own island of Samos, both in elevation and the weather.
"My wife, Eva, and I and our two children, John, 15, and Maria, 4, enjoy Ogden very much."
The Rev. Michaels joined the Air Force Reserve two and a half years ago and is a chaplain with the 419th Tactical Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base.