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Springfield, Ohio — Although Brandt and Joy Thompson weren't completely sure what they were eating, the Springfield couple, along with Brandt's Mom Diane Chapman, said they enjoyed their first experience with Greek food.

The couple saw an advertisement for the festival a few weeks ago, cut it out and saved it so they wouldn't miss the first carry-out dinner held from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 28 at the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church.

The Thompsons and Chapman ate combination dinners complete with a Greek salad, spanakopita, tyropita, pastitsio, souvlaki and baklava.

"It was great," Joy said.

In years past, the church has hosted a full-blown Greek festival, but decided to follow the example of other Greek communities in cities like Grand Rapids, Mich. and hold a four-hour carry-out dinner event.

"Putting on a festival is so much work and our community is so small," said event co-organizer Carolyn Grigiss. "No matter how much we'd like to do it, it just isn't practical for us anymore."

A staff of just over a dozen people were on hand to prepare and serve the food, which was always the most popular part of the festival.

"This is a good compromise. It's a compressed event, but people can still get dinner, the music and the atmosphere," Grigiss said.

Turnout was expected to be strong, with more than 140 dinners ordered and a barrage of Saturday callers asking if food would be available without a pre-order.

By 5:30 p.m., Grigiss said they would likely sell out before the event was over.

"We are doing very well," she said, as the line snaked almost out the door of the church.

As Rebecca Myers waited in line to pick up her dinners, she said. "I used to come to the festival all the time...I love the food."

Her only disappointment, she said, was that there weren't more Greek pastries to take home.

For Myers and others who felt slightly cheated with only one Greek pastry for dessert, the church's Ladies Philoptochos Society will hold its bake sale in November.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0371 or elroberts@coxohio.com.