GARDEN GROVE : International Festival to Tempt the Palate

Uncommon delicacies such as the Greek dessert loukoumades and a Slavic meat dish will be on the menu at this weekend’s International Festival at St. Luke’s Orthodox Church.

The entertainment at the 36th annual event will be just as diverse: live music and folk dancing by performers in bright costumes.

The festival, from noon to dusk Sunday this year, typically draws 3,000 to 5,000 visitors to savor the cuisines and observe the customs of Greece, the Middle East and Slavic countries, church spokesman Mark D’Ercole said.

“There’s always people who know the traditional dances, so others join in and learn the Greek dance or the Romanian dance,” he said. “It’s all hands-on, and everyone gets involved.”

Many visitors dress in traditional costumes for the festival, D’Ercole said.

The festival is the church’s primary fund-raising event to pay for basic operations. Other events through the year, he said, raise money that is given to charities.

“It’s one day I always look forward to,” church member Anna Nasser) said during a break from preparing baklava, a rich dessert. All foods at the festival are prepared by congregation members.

This year, the festival will celebrate the first century of orthodox Christianity in North America, D’Ercole said. The faith, called Antiochian Orthodox Christianity, focuses on the teachings of Jesus’ apostles, D’Ercole said, and was brought to North America by missionaries from Greece, Russia and the Middle East about 100 years ago.

Tours of the church facility, a Byzantine-style circular structure with large stained-glass murals depicting Bible scenes, will be available. The church was built by parishioners in 1973.

St. Luke’s is at 13261 Dunklee Ave., near Haster Street and Garden Grove Boulevard.

Admission to the festival will be $2 for adults and free to children younger than 12.

This year’s event also will feature children’s games, hourly door-prize giveaways and asilent auction of donated items.

Information: (714) 971-2244.