Savannah Greek Festival 2026: Dates, Food & What to Expect

Savannah Greek Festival is one of the city's longest-running fall traditions, and 2026 marks its 75th year. The short answer: it runs Thursday through Saturday, October 8-10, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day at St. Paul's Greek Orthodox Church Hellenic Center, 14 West Anderson Street. Admission is free all three days this year. Come for the homemade Greek food and pastries, and stay for the music, dancing, and church tours.

TL;DR — Savannah Greek Festival 2026

• Dates: Thursday-Saturday, October 8-10, 2026 — the 75th annual festival.
• Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day.
• Where: St. Paul's Hellenic Center, 14 West Anderson Street, at Bull and Anderson, south of Forsyth Park.
• Cost: free admission all three days in 2026. Food, drinks, and market items are pay-as-you-go.
• What to eat: spanakopita, dolmades, pastitsio, souvlaki, and baklava, plus a new baklava cheesecake this year.
• Skip the line: pre-ordered pick-up is offered for lunch each day and for Thursday dinner.
• Busy weekend: Tybee Pirate Fest and the second Oktoberfest weekend overlap, so book hotels and dinners early.

When and Where Is the Savannah Greek Festival in 2026?

The festival runs October 8, 9, and 10, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day. That's a Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, so weekday lunch visits are easy to fit into a work week.

It's hosted by St. Paul's Greek Orthodox Church at its Hellenic Center, 14 West Anderson Street. The church sits at the corner of Bull and Anderson Streets, a short walk south of Forsyth Park, in the Victorian-era neighborhoods below the main Historic District.

Festival details can change, so check the festival's official website (savannahgreekfest.com) for the latest menu and schedule before you go.

Is the Savannah Greek Festival Free?

Yes. For its 75th year, the festival is not charging admission on any of the three days, according to local coverage from WTOC.

That's a change from 2025, when entry was free only before 4 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and cost $5 at other times. If you read an older article that mentions a gate fee, it's describing past years.

You'll still pay for food, drinks, pastries, and anything from the marketplace. Plan on spending most of your budget at the food lines.

What Food Should You Try at the Greek Festival?

Food is the main event. Church volunteers prepare the classics, and the menu leans on dishes you won't find on most Savannah menus:

• Spanakopita: spinach and feta baked in flaky phyllo.
• Dolmades: stuffed grape leaves.
• Pastitsio: a baked pasta dish layered with meat sauce and béchamel.
• Souvlaki: grilled skewered meat.
• Pastries: baklava, koulourakia (butter cookies), and Greek coffee to wash them down.

New for 2026, organizers have added a baklava cheesecake and an expanded Greek wine selection. The marketplace also sells imported products from Greece, including olive oils and cheeses.

Menus and prices can shift from year to year, so check the current menu on the festival's website before you go.

Can You Pre-Order or Get Food To Go?

Yes. The festival offers pick-up with pre-ordering for lunch each day and for dinner on Thursday. That's the best option if you work downtown, want to feed a group, or just want pastitsio without the wait.

Order through the festival website. Pastry trays tend to be popular, so if baklava is the goal, order early in the festival rather than on Saturday evening.

Local tip: Go at Thursday or Friday lunch if you can. Weekday midday is the calmest window of the festival, the full menu is available, and you'll be back out on Bull Street before the evening crowd and the Saturday rush arrive.

What Else Is There to Do Besides Eat?

The festival is a celebration of Greek food, music, and heritage, not just a food line. Expect live Greek music and dancing, church tours, and a marketplace.

The church tour is worth the time even if you're not religious. St. Paul's sanctuary is housed in the Lawton Memorial, built in 1897-98 as a memorial to General Alexander R. Lawton and his daughter Corrine, according to the Georgia Historical Society's marker at the site. The building served as a civic and cultural hall until the 1930s. St. Paul's, chartered in 1907, acquired it as its sanctuary in 1941.

If you enjoy that kind of history, pair your visit with a walk through Savannah's historic squares on the way back north.

How Do You Get There and Where Do You Park?

Bull and Anderson is walkable from most downtown hotels, and the route down Bull Street through Forsyth Park is one of the nicest walks in the city. If you're staying near the river, allow extra time or grab a rideshare.

Driving works too, but festival hours mean more competition for street spaces around the church. Our Savannah parking guide covers how metered and street parking work, and our guide to getting around without a car explains when walking beats driving.

What Else Is Happening That Weekend?

October 8-11 is one of the busiest stretches of Savannah's year. The Tybee Island Pirate Fest runs October 8-11 out on the island, and Oktoberfest at Plant Riverside District holds its second weekend on October 10-11. See our Savannah Oktoberfest guide for that schedule.

That overlap means hotels, restaurants, and ghost tours book up faster than usual. For the full month's calendar, read our Savannah in October guide. For the whole season, see Savannah in fall.

Where Should You Stay and Eat Nearby?

If you want to be close to the festival, the south end of downtown is the place to look. Mansion on Forsyth Park sits right on the park's edge, so walking down to Anderson Street is easy.

Compare other areas in our where to stay in Savannah neighborhood guide, or browse the full Savannah hotels directory. Confirm rates directly, since prices climb on festival weekends.

For coffee before a lunch visit, Foxy Loxy Cafe is also on Bull Street south of Forsyth Park. For dinner after the festival closes, reserve ahead through our Savannah restaurants directory, because Saturday night tables go fast that weekend.

Bottom Line: Savannah Greek Festival 2026

The 75th Savannah Greek Festival runs October 8-10, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at St. Paul's Hellenic Center on West Anderson Street, and admission is free all three days. Go hungry, go early if you want a calm visit, and pre-order pick-up if you just want the food. Save time for the church tour and the dancing. Because the same weekend brings Pirate Fest and Oktoberfest, book your room and dinner reservations now. Then use our October guide to fill in the rest of the trip.