We are so excited you decided to come and experience the true spirit of the Greek culture at our Festival website. Our Church has a long and beautiful history. Here is a summary of several benchmark events that have occurred since our inception:

• 1988 Church is officially named ‘Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church’.
• 1990 Property on St. Stephens School Road is acquired.
• 1991 First liturgy is performed by Father Nicholas Triandafilou under a tree on the new property.
• 1993 The first Mt. Tabor Hall is built.
• 2006 Sanctuary iconography is placed.
• 2010 Father Vasileios, Presvytera Stella, and Nikoletta Flegas arrive.
• 2012 Dome iconography is displayed.
• 2016 Our church is consecrated by His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver. (Once a building has been consecrated as a church, it may never again be used for any secular purpose.)
• 2019 1^st Annual Austin Greek Festival is created.
• 2021 2^nd Annual Austin Greek Festival follows.
• 2021 Father George and Presvytera Ria Bithos are welcomed as Priest and Presvytera.
• 2022 3^rd Annual Austin Greek Festival is held.
• 2023 4^th Annual Austin Greek Festival is held.

Transfiguration has been fulfilling a philanthropic role for 34+ years in the Austin community serving those in need with home-delivered meals, feeding the homeless, and offering support to 25 local, national, and international charities. The Ladies Philoptochos Society leads the way in working tirelessly on charitable projects to help those less fortunate. Other church ministries volunteer to serve those in need as well.

Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church is a vibrant, growing Parish of over 200 families. Our growth requires us to expand to meet the needs of the people God sends us now and into the future, hence the decision to expand. The current Building Expansion Project was started in 2018. It includes plans for new classrooms, a larger Banquet Hall and kitchen, administrative offices, additional parking, and many other renovations and additions.

Expansion plans have been designed to accommodate these needs:

• Our Mount Tabor Community Center will have 12 classrooms and meeting rooms to ensure the religious education of our children—our future—and adults.
• Our new Banquet Hall in the community center will be 4,200 sq. ft. and will accommodate 280-300 people. Our current Banquet Hall is 2,600 sq. ft. and can accommodate 175 people. With the new hall, we can host events such as the Church Gala, baptisms, wedding receptions, gatherings, large and small meetings and other celebrations. There is also the possibility for parochial schools, and other organizations, to use the classrooms.
• Our new 620 sq. ft. Parish kitchen with pantry/prep/cook/clean-up will meet commercial kitchen standards and requirements.  Our current kitchen is 245 sq. ft. and is inadequate to meet Parish needs.
• The need for parking has expanded as our Church has grown. We currently have 87 marked parking spaces. We appreciate that we are being allowed to park on average 30 vehicles on the military base for every Sunday and for our Special Event Services.  After our Mount Tabor Community Center is completed, our plan includes replacing the current Mt. Tabor Hall with 55 striped surface parking spaces.
• The New Parish Hall will provide new administrative facilities for Clergy, Parish ministries, the bookstore, meeting rooms, and storage.
• Long term, we will maximize property space utilization to support future decades for our Parish with a Recreation Center and Parking Structure while expanding Orthodoxy in Austin.

The Annual Austin Greek Festival has become a great way to spread the Greek culture and religion as well as providing much-needed funds for our Mount Tabor Community Center. The rapidity with which pledges have come in to support the expansion shows the dedication and love of this congregation for its beloved Church. With more and more converts coming to Orthodoxy every day and the beauty of a full church every Sunday of parishioners clamoring to experience the spirituality of our clergy, the future is bright, indeed, for Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church.

With all the plans, blueprints and schematics that will bring us our new building, we should, however, always remember the words of Father Nick under that proverbial tree during our first liturgy on Mount Tabor: “Never forget that a church is not the brick and mortar of a building; it is the people who make up the church.” May we always remember these wise words as we humbly go forward to spread God’s Word.

Please consider joining us at the Annual Austin Greek Festival as we are Livin’ the Greek life!

If you have any questions regarding the Austin Greek Festival please contact us.