Yassou means "Welcome" in Greek, and the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Grand Rapids welcomes all to partake in its first-ever Grand Rapids Greek Cultural Festival. An event six months in the making, Yassou! is West Michigan's first dedicated festival celebrating Greek culture and is expected to draw nearly 8,000 visitors in its first year.

Yassou! Grand Rapids Greek Cultural Festival Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church Aug. 27, 3–10 p.m. Aug. 28, 11 a.m.–10 p.m. $2 entrance fee yassoufest.com

Yassou! features the essence of the Greek isles through traditional dancing demonstrations by Holy Trinity's youth dancers, Greek beers and imported wines, a Greek marketplace, and a live concert featuring the Levendes, a dynamic Greek and American band based out of metro Detroit. And of course, the festival food will be one of the many highlights of the event. Featuring such traditional delicacies as pork and chicken souvlaki, gyros, spanakopita, greek salad, and baklava, the menu is almost entirely prepared by volunteers and parishioners of the church using locally grown and purchased produce.

"The people of Grand Rapids are hungry for something different," said David Darling, founding co-chair for the event. "It's a source of pride to bring an awareness of our culture to West Michigan."

Yassou! promises to bring together a combination of Greek music, dances, gifts, and food in a way that will keep your feet tapping and make you want to shout Opa!