Glendi offers traditional Greek dishes, entertainment

Four days of amazing Greek food, plus live music and dancing, ought to be enough to tempt you to check out the 34th annual Glendi at St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church in East Manatee this weekend.

If not, maybe this will: You can enter a raffle to win $30,000 in cash or a trip to Greece.

The Glendi is an annual festival that celebrates all things Greek. Food is a focus, with lesser-known dishes such as taramosalata and saganaki for people willing to engage in gustatory explorations, and mainstream favorites such as gyros and moussaka for people who prefer the familiar.

Traditional Greek music and dance, a market and an “adventure zone” for kids are among the non-edible attractions.

You can win the cash (or a 2018 Mercedes Benz, of you prefer) or the trip to Greece by entering a raffle for $100. That’s an expensive raffle, but only 1,500 tickets are being sold, and six people will win at least $1,000.

About 12,000 visitors are expected over the course of the festival, which means the parking area at St. Barbara’s might be full a lot of the time. There’s additional free parking a few blocks away at the Church of the Trinity, 7225 Lockwood Ridge Road, with free shuttles to the festival.

Details: Feb. 8-11 St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church, 7671 N. Lockwood Ridge Road, East Manatee. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, noon-8 p.m. Sunday. Free Thursday (donations to Manatee County Veterans Council accepted), $4 three-day pass Friday-Sunday. Children under 12 free. 941-355-2616, bradentonorthodox.com.

This story was originally published February 7, 2018 at 4:49 PM with the headline "Glendi offers traditional Greek dishes, entertainment."