The Holy Trinity Cathedral is a landmark of downtown Salt Lake City. It lies just across from Pioneer Park, where weekly farmers markets are held.
I always like to look at the church when I go to the market. I finally got the opportunity to not only go into the church itself, but also the museum below and a gigantic festival celebrating Greek life. No, not that kind of Greek life. I mean actual Greeks, one of the most important groups of people in our cultural history. Ranging from Socrates to Sisyphus, they have spawned some of the most important philosophers and myths in our culture.
The Vendors
When arriving, we were just asked to pay just $5 to gain to the festival. Once inside, they had everything one could ask for.
There was a large showroom dedicated to local vendors and special Greek pastries. They had some beautiful handmade jewelry and statuettes of classic Greek mythology and history, like the Trojan Horse and Zeus. They also had a whole section of the showroom that only contained paintings from local artists. There was a huge variety of works showcased. Some of my favorites include a picturesque view of the ocean and a lighthouse, an epic Batman-Van Gogh mashup and a beautiful closeup of three ravens on a snowy branch.
Just past the paintings they had a few sections showing off various clothing items, from Greek Fest-specific merch to more traditional Greek clothing. Every area had more people than the last. Every time we looked back there were more people coming in. It was a busy event, and one that more people should check out.
Food
After looking at the vendors, we went and got some food. They had a giant tent filled with tables and sectioned off areas for the incredibly long food line. It took us about 15 minutes before we even got into the building, but it was so worth it. I spent around $50 on food and it was not wasted money. Everything was all fresh, delicious and filling. The leftovers provided feasts for days afterward. I had never heard of pastitsio before going to Greek Fest but it is something I recommend everybody try. It was absolutely divine.
History
Finally, we capped our trip off with the church and museum. The church itself was absolutely stunning. Every window was a work of stained glass art. The pulpit was backed by a blocked off room that had a statue of Jesus on the cross. They also had the baptism font off to the side and two tables full of candles. It was gorgeous.
After walking through the church we went into the museum and were immediately fascinated. It had such a cool collection of curios from many Greek families spread across Utah, and even some donated from out of state.
All in all, Greek Fest is such a fun celebration of an incredibly important and unique group of people. I am so glad I went, and even more glad I spent the extra money on the tzatziki sauce.
