SACO — Despite a little rain and some humid weather, spirits were high over the weekend at the 22nd annual Greek Festival at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Saco.

Scores turned out for the event, which featured Greek dancing, vendors, tours of the church and — everyone’s favorite — authentic Greek food and pastries.

The festival, held Friday through Sunday, is a major fundraiser for the church, drawing people from Saco, southern Maine and beyond.

Kathy Schleimer, of South Carolina, was one of them on Saturday.

“We just heard everybody talk about it so we thought we’d come, said Schleimer, who spends six months of the year in Old Orchard Beach. “The food was incredible, and this church is beautiful, just beautiful. I had no idea this existed.”

Bryan Carpenter, of Lyman, said the food was a major draw for him.

But festival workers say while the food is a big part of the event, it’s not the sole focus of the festival.

“It’s not just a food festival. it’s also sharing the faith,” said Paul Macdowell, a church worker. “You’ve got community and you can subdivide that community into people of Greek descent coming to celebrate their heritage, but you’ve also got people interested in Greek culture.

“That, sometimes, has gotten lost in all the hard work,” he said.

Jessica Thomas, also of Lyman and who was with Carpenter, said she enjoyed the traditional Greek dancing because it gave her a glimpse into a culture not her own.

“We came here last year and they just seemed very joyous. We saw a lot of dancing and it was interesting,” she said. “The culture is pretty fascinating.”

Macdowell credited the festival’s success to the church’s dedicated parishioners who pour countless hours into the festival’s preparation, including making more than 20,000 handmade Greek pastries all from scratch.

“The women here have been busting butt since January at least,” he said.

He also said the festival inspires an atmosphere of belonging and a “sense of welcome.”

“Everybody just feels like they’re instant family,” Macdowell said. “Everybody always leaves in a better place than when they come here and that’s amazing.”

Carpenter agreed.

“The atmosphere of how nice everybody is, it’s enjoyable to be here,” he said.

— Staff Writer Alan Bennett can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 329 or abennett@journaltribune.com.

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