LOS ANGELES — It’s one of the largest ethnic festivals in Los Angeles. Saint Sophia’s Greek Festival has been taking place for 22 years and is hosted at Saint Sophia's Greek Orthodox Cathedral, a historic Los Angeles monument.

This time of year, Reverend Father John Bakkas keeps quite busy. He is supporting his team of volunteers as they prepare for the annual Greek festival at Saint Sophia’s Cathedral.

As he helps cook up Greece’s famous custard dessert, Galaktoboureko, he says the festival, which attracts 15,000 attendees, wouldn’t be possible without his church of volunteers. 

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“These wonderful ladies who are breaking eggs and doing all these things are putting into action what they believe and that is love, compassion, and giving,” Father John said.

And giving really is the spirit of the festival.

In addition to the Mediterranean dishes, Father John showed me the many booths that will be displayed, from games, to even cooking demonstrations. He see’s the festival as an opportunity to build positive bridges with the surrounding community.

“I think sometimes in our culture we’ve lost that sense of joy and positive attitudes, there’s too much bickering going on, so we want to just have a good time to embrace one another," he said. "It’s really best exemplified in Greek dancing because in Greek dancing, you have to hold hands or put your hands around your partner."

Last year’s gathering had a successful turnout with live music, dancing, and attendees who aren’t just Greek but also represent the diverse multicultural community of the Byzantine Latino quarter.

“We are each of us angels with one wing, we can only fly embracing each other," reads the sign right outside the church on Normandie Avenue and Pico Boulevard. 

Father John is most excited to welcome the surrounding community. The Byzantine Latino quarter hosts Central Americans, Koreans, Mexicans, Greeks, and more. He says he has built a positive relationship with the neighbors, and many of them come out to celebrate together each year.

“We are happy to celebrate joy and unity," he said.

And ultimately, through sharing their culture with the community, unity is the goal of St. Sophia’s Greek festival.

The festival runs from Friday, Oct. 4, until Sunday, Oct. 6. To learn more, visit lagreekfest.com.