Greek culture came to life this weekend through dancers, food and music. The three-day Greek Food Festival had attendees shouting “opa!” – a traditional celebratory word, uttered when someone likes what he or she sees. The word could be heard again and again.

The food festival was held beneath two large tents at Saint George Greek Orthodox Church, which is across the street from Potter Elementary on Cross Road. The church was established in New Bedford in the early 1900s before relocating to Dartmouth six years ago.

John Tsonis, chair of the festival, said the goal of the festival is to help spread Greek culture into Dartmouth.

“We’ve always tried to figure out a way to bring our culture out to the community,” Tsonis said. “[The festival] was put together many years ago. We just kept the tradition going.”

Traditional Greek dishes were served throughout the weekend, including lamb on a spit, homemade sweets and pita bread.

“We can’t keep the steam tables full. It goes so fast,” Tsonis said. “Our biggest sellers are the gyro sandwiches. We make the tzatziki sauce, which is a yogurt sauce, from scratch.”

The church's own Greek Ladies Philoptochos Society baked all the sweets for the event, working like an assembly line to ensure there would be enough baklava and almond rolls for visitors. The women’s group was also responsible for making the spanakopita, or spinach pie.

“A lot of people donated the material, and we did all the preparation and baking here at the church,” Kiki Feldmar said, adding that her group had spent every day in the three weeks leading up to the event baking.

“We love it,” she added.

She said she learned how to cook from her mother, and there is only one way to become proficient at Greek baking: practice.

“The filo dough is delicate. You have to use it on time so it won’t crack,” Feldmar said.

Konnie Yankopolus was hard at work cooking another Greek treat for customers outside the tent. Starting on the second night of the festival, Yankopolus fired up saganaki, a fried cheese dish served with pita bread and olives.

A slab of hard cheese is coated with flour and fried with oil on both sides before it’s doused with brandy, temporarily setting the frying pan ablaze. Once the alcohol quickly burns off, the cheese is topped with lemon juice.

Alana Yasso, a culinary teacher from Durfee High School and a self-described foodie said she was enjoying what the church had to offer – especially the gyro with tzatziki sauce.

“I’m from Tarpon Springs, Florida, which is the Greek center of the United States,” Yasso said. “It’s nice to have a place to get good Greek food. It’s our first time here. It’s awesome.”

“It’s important to teach kids about different cultures and the foods that go along with that. There’s always a story to go along with [food],” she added.

While food was served throughout all three days of the festival, Greek culture was on display in a different form during the final day. The Greek Pride of Rhode Island Hellenic Dance Troupe drew a crowd of onlookers shouting and throwing their money onto the dance floor, a Greek tradition.

“The throwing of money is something that happens at weddings. Any money that gets thrown is for the bride and groom. It’s like showering with good wishes,” said Andrea Vastis, one of the directors of the dance troupe.

The dance troupe is a church organization that’s been around since 1989. The group performs at their own church festival and other festivals around the area.

“We do dances from all parts of Greece. It is to give people a sampling of the different types of dances and costumes they would see in Greece,” Vastis said.

For instance, the group performed a dance that would be performed by the bridal parties at weddings. That particular dance is localized to the areas around the Black Sea.

“It’s a great way for them to connect to the culture,” she said.