Totally Texas -- How to eat like a Greek

Greek Food Festival of Dallas

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church

13555 Hillcrest Rd., Dallas

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Of all the food festivals in Dallas, my flavor favorite is the this weekend’s Greek Food Festival. Is it the cachet of the Mediterranean diet? The lovely setting on the grounds of the Holy Trinity Church? The lively music and dancing? All in the homey atmosphere of a church bake sale grown to mega proportions.

The emphasis, note, is on food. I lived in Dallas for years without attending until dragged to the festival by a foodie friend. I was amazed and delighted. Festival goers who equate “Greek” with college fraternity toga parties may be disappointed. Or they may go home stuffed full of souvlaki, keftethes, spanakopita, and carrying enough baked goods to stock their freezers. (Don’t wait until the last minute to stock up on baklava or you’ll be left crying into your Greek coffee.)

Want to learn how to prepare your own Greek favorites? Drop by one of the eight cooking demonstrations during the festival.

In the arts and crafts displays, my favorite are the hand painted eggs. The artist is Ukrainian, but she and her art are within the Orthodox tradition underlying the festival. There’s a bookstore with literature, icons and gifts, and a children’s area with face painting and activities sized for small hands.

The church itself is open for tours from 6-8 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. -8 p.m. Saturday, and noon -3 p.m. Sunday. The interior is covered with breathtaking traditional iconography.

Tickets are $6 for adults (age 13 and up), free for under 13’s. Expect to spend in the neighborhood of $12-$15 for food if you opt for the table d’hote festival feast with a selection of traditional entrees and side dishes. Or go the light route with pastries, coffees, Greek wines and beer. Buy food coupons at the front with your admission tickets.

There’s free parking on neighboring streets (wear comfortable walking shoes), valet parking at the door, or free parking at lots across Hillcrest.

The festival is open today (September 26), 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday only, get half-price admission at Opa! Hour from 5-7 p.m.

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Need something else to do while you’re waiting for the Greek festival to open this afternoon? Well, there is that other little festival across town¾ the State Fair of Texas. The opening day parade starts at Houston and Main downtown at noon. For more information, tickets and event schedules, see
www.bigtex.com/.

Totally Texas -- Celebrate our first prez at Arboretum

When we need a little bit of spring right now, the Dallas Arboretum obliges with a burst of festivity for Monday's President's Day holiday.  The theme is "America the Beautiful."  And since we're also the land of the free and the home of the brave, the Arboretum grants free entry Monday to the brave, at least those brave who are active or retired military. Or just be beautiful (isn’t everybody?) and you can enter the Dallas Arboretum Monday, February 17, for the President’s Day sale price of $5. (Although popularly called President’s Day, the February federal holiday officially recognizes George Washington, born 282 years ago next week.)

It’s a holiday for many area schools, and if your family is anything like mine, you’re desperate to get the kids out of the house after all the bad weather-enforced togetherness this winter. This time of year, I’m often nervous when blogging about outdoor activities, fearing a sudden sleet storm will make my post as obsolete as knee breeches and powdered wigs. However, so far, the weather channel is smiling on Monday, in fact, on this entire weekend.

Any day now, you can stroll the grounds of the Arboretum, enjoying the seasonal color of pansies, wallflowers, violets, and ornamental greenery. But come Monday to get a preview of the spring Dallas Blooms festival at special admission prices. Children age two and under always get in free, but Monday only, everyone enters for $5 (compared to the usual $15 for adults, $10 for kids three and up). Or, if you’re an active or retired service member, bring your identification and get in free. You still have to pay for parking, but discounted $5 parking is available online at www.dallasarboretum.org/.

The Arboretum, at 8252 Garland Road in Dallas, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except for some late-year holidays. Special child-friendly activities for President’s Day, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., include face painting, a petting zoo with small and gentle farm animals, kids costume contest (dressed like the president of your choice), and presidential trivia contests.

Kids and adults can enjoy patriotic music in the entry plaza and on the Rutchik Stage, scavenger hunt through the gardens, or feast on $1 hot dogs, popcorn and cherry pie.

It’s still too early to get pictures with the Arboretum’s many cherry trees. So pose the kids with such Arboretum landmarks as the decorative urns illustrating this post, or the new peacock topiaries on the lawn in the Jonsson Color Garden. Please note also that the Children’s Adventure Garden, currently undergoing maintenance, will not reopen for the season until the first day of Dallas Blooms, February 22.

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Can’t wait until Monday for kid-friendly fun? Try the Dallas Zoo, with admission slashed to $5 for Penguin Days (free for ages two and younger) through February 28. See
www.dallaszoo.com/.

Or the Butterfly House Discovery Tour Saturday starting at 11 a.m., with butterfly release at noon, $8 for adults (twelve and over), $4 for ages 3-11. You can also explore daily on your own, with daily noon butterfly release. See www.texasdiscoverygardens.org/.