Local Guide
Let's Go Greek Festival Parramatta: A Local Restaurateur's Guide to the Day
Tens of thousands of people, a kilometre from our door. Where to park, what to queue for, what most first-timers skip, and where to sit down afterwards.
Every September, tens of thousands of people fill the grounds of St Ioannis on George St for the Let's Go Greek Festival. It is one of the biggest Greek community events in Sydney, and it happens about a kilometre from our front door.
We are not affiliated with the festival and we do not run a stall. We are just a Greek family who cooks on Church St and goes every year. So here is a practical guide.
Getting there and parking
Do not drive to George St on the day. Parramatta CBD parking is difficult on a normal Saturday and the festival makes it worse. Park once in the CBD, or better, take the train to Parramatta station and walk. Everything worth doing that day is within about fifteen minutes on foot.
Go hungry, but pace yourself
The obvious mistake is eating everything in the first hour. Festival food is queue food: you order standing up, you eat standing up, and by mid-afternoon you have had four heavy things and nowhere to sit.
Our advice, which is admittedly self-interested but also true: graze at the festival, then sit down properly. The loukoumades are worth the queue. Most other things are worth a taste rather than a full serve.
What to look for
- The dancing. The community groups perform through the day and it is the part most first-timers skip because they are busy eating. Do not skip it.
- The sweets stalls. Loukoumades fresh out of the fryer, and whatever the yiayias have baked, which is always better than anything commercial.
- The church itself. Worth stepping inside for five quiet minutes even if you are not Orthodox.
When you want to sit down
By late afternoon most people have had enough of standing. We are at 316 Church St, about a fifteen minute walk, open until 10pm on weeknights and 11pm on weekends.
If you are coming after the festival with a group, call us on (02) 9891 4174 so we can hold you a proper table. It is a busy day on Church St and walking in with eight people is optimistic.
Festival dates change year to year. Check letsgogreekfestival.com.au before you plan your day.