>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Popcorn Festival cancels, and others offer to-go service
Two festivals famous for authentic ethnic eats handmade by volunteers had to get creative to dish out copious amounts of food by turning their festivals into drive-throughs and even offering bulk food to freeze and bake later.
Organizers of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church’s Dayton Greek Festival and Sons of Italy John Pirelli Lodge’s Italian Fall Festa worked curbside pick-up services in response to the weather.
>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Greek Festival offers food, treats in bulk to take and bake at home
Beyond the mass quantities of surplus food, these festivals that give back to the community by supporting other local charities faced a softer year in profits as a result of the weather.
>> Weekend rains rough on local charities that rely on festival revenue
THE GOOD NEWS
This year, Mother Nature has different plans.
The forecast is calling for festival fun all weekend.
Temperatures should be in the 70s with partly cloudy skies, and the chances for rain are pretty minimal.
“This weekend will be an autumn preview, as daytime temperatures will be in the mid 70s with lower to tolerable humidity and overnight lows are comfortable, in the mid 50s. It will be dry as skies will be partly to mostly sunny for the weekend,” said Dontae Jones, Storm Center 7 meteorologist.
>> Get the latest weather forecast from Storm Center 7
This means you have the chance to make up for last year and show these hometown festivals some extra love.
📍CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE: HOW TO DO ALL OF THE FESTIVALS THIS WEEKEND
Here’s your roadmap to making the most of a busy festival weekend and supporting all of the festivals.
Grab your stretchiest pair of stretchy pants and get ready to grub.
Here is how to do the Beavercreek Popcorn Festival, the Dayton Greek Festival, the Italian Fall Festa, the Egyptian Festival and the Springboro and Vandalia Oktoberfests this weekend.
Friday
Credit: Tom Gilliam
Credit: Tom Gilliam
LUNCH
🥙Dayton Greek Festival
The 61st Dayton Greek Festival opens at 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 6, at the church at 500 Belmonte Park N., Dayton.
Once again, festival volunteers are offering pre-ordered grub you can pick up from the front of the festival during lunchtime Friday.
The menu items and pick-up times (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) can be selected via the Dayton Greek Festival website. Click here to place an order using a credit card.
Carryout orders must be placed by 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 6. When you arrive, look for the sign that says “Carry Out Pick-Up,” then pull up and park and someone will assist you.
>> Festival offering drive-up gyros, pies and other reasons to say ‘OPA!’
OR
🍝Italian Fall Festa
You could carb load at lunch instead! Organizers of the John Pirelli Lodge Order Sons of Italy’s Italian Fall Festa offer a pre-festival Friday lunch pick-up from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at that festival’s site, 2625 County Line Road in Kettering.
Call (937) 258-3600 to order ahead between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Cash payment is due when food is picked up for individuals or groups. No credit cards.
The lunch menu includes a pasta dinner with meatballs and side salad ($9), pepperoni or cheese pizza ($13), meatball sandwich ($5), and Italian beef sandwich ($7).
>> What to eat at the Italian Fall Festa
Posted by Italian Fall Festa on Monday, September 2, 2019
DINNER
If you’re looking for a big, hearty dinner, you have options depending on which route you went for lunch:
🥙Dayton Greek Festival
The Greek Festival is offering two full dinner options in its indoor food hall:
• Greek Lamb Shank Dinner: Delicious roasted lamb shank served with rice pilaf, green beans, Greek salad and bread.
• Pork Souvlaki Dinner: Marinated pork with Greek seasonings, grilled and served with bread, rice pilaf, green beans and Greek salad.
Smaller bites will also be available in the main outside food tent.
🍝Italian Fall Festa (Kettering)
The Italian Fall Festa has a themed dinner each night of the three-day festival. Friday night, Baked Pasta is on the menu in the Lodge.
Smaller bites will also be available outside on the festival grounds.
🍇Taste of Egypt (Miamisburg)
Swing by the annual Egyptian Festival between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. at St. Mina and St. Abanoub Church, 1531 King Richard Parkway, Miamisburg.
Come hungry.
Delights include Chicken and lamb kabob, dolma (stuffed grape leaves) and macaroni pasta with bechamel sauce.
>> RELATED: 5 must-try foods at the Egyptian Festival
Wrap things up by 7 at the Egyptian Festival and head to nearby Springboro for some beer.
Credit: Tom Gilliam
Credit: Tom Gilliam
🍻DRINKS
If you need to unwind Friday night with an adult beverage, you have options.
🍝Italian Fall Festa (Kettering)
Our No. 1 recommendation is to head to Italian Fall Festa for Friday dinner and stick around for a limited special brew from Warped Wing. The Limone Lager will be available exclusively at the festival while supplies last. Friday night is the safest bet to get some because once the lemon-flavored brew is gone, it's gone.
Credit: Tom Gilliam
Credit: Tom Gilliam
🍺 Springboro Oktoberfest
If you’re looking for a more robust beer selection, head to Oktoberfest Springboro! There will be an exclusive selection of domestic and German-inspired beers, more than 40 varieties to be exact. The fest runs from 6 p.m. to midnight Friday.
Oktoberfest Springboro's organizers have worked diligently to focus primarily on offering brews made from authentic German recipes, including well-knowns like Paulaner and Ayinger while reaching further back to bring you offerings from the likes of Brauhaus Riegele and others. This event has continued to involve local breweries as well.
>> Why you should add Oktoberfest Springboro to your bucket list
Saturday
MORNING
🍿Beavercreek Popcorn Festival
Spend the morning at the Beavercreek Popcorn Festival.
The Popcorn 5K and Fitness Walk are at 8:30 a.m. Bonus is that kids age 10 and under can run an obstacle course for free.
The festival opens at 10 a.m. with a full day of fun starting at 10:30 a.m.
>> Eats and treats at the Beavercreek Popcorn Festival
Food options range from BBQ, potatoes and fish and chicken to all sorts of flavored popcorn.
Credit: Tom Gilliam
Credit: Tom Gilliam
AFTERNOON
🍺🐕Springboro Oktoberfest
The highlight of Springboro Oktoberfest, if you ask us, comes at noon with the Wiener Dog Race. This is can’t-miss fun whether you have a dog that’s racing or you just want to soak up the cuteness. Stick around and enjoy lots of beer, German eats and treats.
It wouldn’t be a bad thing if you decided to stay all day and all night.
Credit: Chris Stewart
Credit: Chris Stewart
EVENING
🥙Dayton Greek Festival
Come late/afternoon evening, it will be time to head back to the Greek Festival to get your opa on and dance.
>> Why you HAVE to see this beautiful Dayton church on the inside (and this weekend is your chance)
Saganaki — a Greek version of fried cheese — will once again be up for grabs at the Greek Festival. If you need to cool off, grab an Ouzo Slushie.
Other beloved treats include baklava and Loukoumades (honey puffs).
>> Ouzo making a comeback at Greek Festival
Credit: Tom Gilliam
Credit: Tom Gilliam
🍝Italian Fall Festa (Kettering)
Or you can head over to the Italian Festa to say "ciao" to all your friends and play some bocce ball. Saturday night is traditionally hopping at Italian Festa, and there will be a special stuffed shells dinner.
The sausage, onion and pepper sandwiches are always crowd favorites, as are the pastries made with love.
>> Reasons you shouldn't miss the Italian Fall Festa this weekend
Credit: BRIAN SWARTZ
Credit: BRIAN SWARTZ
🍺Vandalia Oktoberfest
If you’d rather have homemade potato salad, cabbage rolls and giant brats instead, then plan to have dinner at the Sister Cities of Vandalia’s Oktoberfest Saturday night.
The zany jam band The Menus will perform at the event and they promise to bring the fun.
Sunday
Credit: Ron Alvey
Credit: Ron Alvey
Time to take it easy. You've almost made it. Have a more low-key Sunday.
🥙Dayton Greek Festival
Stop by the Greek Festival to shop in the Grecian Boutique, or for last-minute pastries and all the spanakopita and pastitsio you can carry. Say it with us, "baklava."
>> What to eat at the Dayton Greek Festival
Credit: Italian Fall Festa
Credit: Italian Fall Festa
🍝Italian Fall Festa (Kettering)
The Italian Fall Festa will feature a spaghetti and meatballs special dinner. Get there by 3 p.m. to catch the spaghetti eating contest for children and adults. The Meatball Madness Run is at 10 a.m. if you want to burn some calories before the feast.
Credit: Tom Gilliam
Credit: Tom Gilliam
🍇Taste of Egypt (Miamisburg)
Sunday’s the perfect day for a chill afternoon at this festival. Shop at the Egyptian bazaar, take a tour of the church and feast on stuffed grape leaves, chicken and lamb kabobs and more.
🍿Beavercreek Popcorn Festival
Or you can head straight for the Beavercreek Popcorn Festival. The family-oriented festival features 200 booths of crafts and all of the festival food you are going to miss come November.
Choose your own adventure!
Here are the basics for each of these events. Map out your own plan to hit them all or some of them here.
🍿 Beavercreek Popcorn Festival
Where: Dayton-Xenia Road between North Fairfield Road and Meadow Bridge Drive
When: Saturday, Sept. 7, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 8, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Cost: Free
Where: The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 500 Belmonte Park N., Dayton
When: Sept. 6-8; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday
Cost: Free admission from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 8; Admission for the remainder of the weekend is $2 per adult. Free admission for active military, veterans and children 12 and younger. Admission is good for the entire weekend. Ask for a re-entry ticket if you plan to return anytime during festival weekend. Shuttle available from Grandview Hospital employee parking lot on Shaw Avenue.
Info: Website | (937) 224-0601
Where: Bella Villa Hall, 2625 County Line Road, Kettering
When: Sept. 6 to 8.; Friday 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (lunch) and 6 to 11 p.m.; Saturday noon to 11 p.m.; Sunday noon to 8 p.m.
Cost: Free admission and free parking. Shuttle available from the nearby Reynolds & Reynolds parking lot
WHEN: Sept. 6- 8; 4 to 9 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday
WHERE: St. Mina and St. Abanoub Coptic Orthodox Church, 1531 King Richard Pkwy., Miamisburg
COST: Free admission and parking
INFO: (937) 866-0622 | Website | Facebook
🍺 Sister Cities of Vandalia’s Oktoberfest
WHEN: Sept. 6-7. 6 p.m. to midnight on Friday and noon to midnight on Saturday
WHERE: Vandalia Sports Complex, 1111 Stonequarry Road
COST: Admission is $5 each day.
WHERE: Springboro United Church of Christ, 5 W. Mill St.
WHEN: Sept. 6-7. Friday 6 p.m. to midnight and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
ADMISSION: $3 (kids 12 and under are free)
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