Sts. Peter and Paul Holiday Faire - Saturday, December 6th

Driven by the Philoptochos Society of SS Peter and Paul Greek Orthodox Church’s multi-generational volunteer force, Holiday Faire 2025 returns for its 65th year on Saturday, December 6. The event showcases traditional Greek home-cooked savory favorites like spanakopites, tiropites, Greek chicken, gyros, and pastitsio, as well as home-baked kourabiedes, koulourakia, melomakarona, galaktoboureko, and baklava. All are invited to attend this festive event, which will take place at the church community center, located at 1401 Wagner Road, on Saturday, December 6, from 11 am – 5 pm.

Philoptochos, which translates to “Friends of the Poor” from Greek, is the name of the philanthropic arm of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, and the Saints Peter and Paul chapter of the organization is recognized for its vibrant volunteer base and significant charitable impact. Typically, one-third of the funds they distribute annually are generated from the proceeds of the Holiday Faire, and last year, they successfully donated over $100,000 to those in need at local, national, and global levels.

Two organization that will directly benefit by receiving a portion of this year’s Faire’s proceeds include K9s for Veterans, whose mission is to help veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder transition back to civilian life once their military service has ended with the help of trained service dogs, and Camp Soar, an organization that provides an inclusive and fun overnight summer camp experience for children who otherwise would not have this opportunity.

“The Holiday Faire is our major fundraiser for the year,” explains the event chair, Kris Tsitsis. She adds, “We typically serve over 650 meals during the event, in addition to those meals we prepare for carry-out orders. This is only made possible by the hard work of over 100 individuals - many who represent three generations of the same families - who work together to prepare the food for the luncheon and bakery.”

“Our Philoptochos members and supporters begin planning for the event months in advance,” Bakery Chair, Nancie Poulos, explains, adding, “and we use traditional Greek recipes that our own parishioners have handed down through multiple generations. For example, our spanakopita recipe has been used for 30 years! These recipes have been thoroughly taste-tested, and some may have undergone minor adjustments; the end result is our offering of only the finest baked goods.”

To that end, the baking team insists on using only top-quality ingredients, including fresh phyllo dough delivered directly from the manufacturer, honey sourced from growers in Oregon, the best feta, pure vanilla, and real, name-brand butter and sugar. This level of attention to detail makes a noticeable difference in flavor, and they have even received “fan mail” from someone who claimed their baklava was the best he had ever eaten.

While fantastic homemade Greek pastries and food have always been the largest draw to the event, this year’s Holiday Faire will feature a festive food court atmosphere, live holiday entertainment performed by Glenview students and young traditional Greek Dancers; a room where families can build and decorate gingerbread houses; boutique shopping, a pop-up-shop offering a curated collection of vintage finds, and of course, a visit from Santa!

Hours for Holiday Faire 2025 are 11 am – 5 pm. Lunch will be served from 11 am – 2:30 pm, with carryout meals available until 5 pm. Admission is free. For more information, contact Kris Tsitsis at kristsitsis@sbcglobal.net or visit our website at https://ssppglenview.org/events/.