The 49th Birmingham Greek Food Festival is underway, and you’ve got a lot to try. The open-air festival provides outside tented seating for folks who want “a taste of Greece without the airfare,” as the fest puts it.

Happening through Saturday, Oct. 15, the festival located at 307 19th Street South in Birmingham offers drive-thru, walk-up and takeout if you can’t stick around to enjoy the fun.

The Greek Festival is one of the city’s oldest and most anticipated cultural events that offers an abundance of delicious Greek cuisine, a tradition described as “an act of love from Birmingham’s Greek community to the city going back four generations.” The authentic Greek cuisine is prepared by the parishioners of the community and served by them during the Greek Food Festival weekend.

“All entrees and desserts are homemade and they have been for 48 years when the festival began and are comprised of only the freshest and finest ingredients available,” the festival website says. Menu offerings include souvlakia pastichio, Greek chicken, spanokopeta, dolmathes, veggie plates, Greek salad, gyros and more! There will also be a choice of homemade Greek pastries including baklava, kourambethes, melomakarana, koulourakia and many more.

In addition to the delicious food, you can enjoy Greek music and dancing (all ages will perform).

The festival offers free admission, plus outside tented seating for dining. Food plates are individually priced and the Greek pastries will be pre-packaged and sold in the food lines. Coca-Cola products will available along with Greek beer and wines. You can also walk through the Greek Market Place which has Mediterranean and Orthodox Christian souvenirs. Free parking is located in the former Liberty National parking building located one block away on 20th Street (Richard Arrington Blvd) between 3rd and 4th Avenue.

The drive-thru is available each day from 10:30 a.m. until 8 p.m. They also say there’s no need to call ahead and place your order. Their servers will greet you, take your big or small order, and deliver right to your vehicle.

Per the website, since 1972, the Greek Food Festival has impacted charitable organizations by donating a portion of the festival proceeds to local and national charities. “With your help the 2022 Greek Festival will give a portion of the proceeds to Children’s of Alabama and The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama.”

For more information, call (205) 716-3088 or visit birminghamgreekfestival.net.

As for what to eat, try one (or all) of these 10 items at this year’s festival:

Deluxe Plate ($24)

“Delicious Greek style chicken served with pastichio, rice pilaf, spanakopita, tiropita, Greek Salad and pita bread.”

Souvlakia ($19)

“Marinated lamb skewered and grilled on an open fire served with rice pilaf, spanakopita, tiropita, Greek salad and pita bread.”

Pastichio ($18)

“A wonderful combination with layers of macaroni, ground beef in a Greek tomato sauce, topped with a layer of delicious cream bechamel sauce. Served with spanakopita, tiropita, Greek style green beans, Greek salad and pita bread.” You can also buy frozen pastichio for $50 (feeds 9-12).

Veggie Plate ($15)

“A meatless plate with our delicious rice pilaf, Greek style green beans, Greek dinner salad, 2 spanakopitas, 2 tiropitas and pita bread.” (Disclaimer: Rice is cooked in chicken broth).

Gyro Sandwich ($10)

“Grilled slices of seasoned beef and lamb topped with lettuce and Greek Tzatziki sauce and rolled in warm pita bread.”

Baklava (2 for $7)

“Layer upon layer of buttered filo and ground pecans bathed in a honey syrup.” Also, try the chocolate baklava, classic baklava with chocolate chips and drizzled with chocolate (same price).

Melomakarona (2 for $7)

“Honey and nut cookie topped with chopped pecans.”

Kourambiethes (2 for $7)

“Greek wedding cookie sprinkled with powdered sugar.”

Koulourakia (2 for $7)

“Butter cookies with a hint of cinnamon, perfect for coffee dunking.”

Loukoumathes (small $6, large $12; sold only at booth)

“Six or 12 Greek donuts, fried while you watch, dipped in warm honey and sprinkled with cinnamon.”