BRIDGEPORT --  The public is invited to the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church's 98th annual Greek Festival.

The festival is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, August 17, at Prairie Winds Community Center in Bridgeport. The festival traces its history to the church.

"Each individual parish is named after either a saint in the church, or after a significant event that is celebrated each year in the life of the church. Our church was named the Assumption,"  said Nicole Dean.

She said the Assumption refers to the Virgin Mary.

"In the Orthodox Church on August 15, every year, we celebrate the falling asleep, the passing away of the Virgin Mary, and also the time when her body was assumed into Heaven. So that's where Assumption comes from,"  she said.

She said the festival started as a joyous celebration for their church's "Feast Day." 

"Over the years, people started, in the parish, started inviting community members, neighbors and it outgrew our parish. And then was held at some other locations including a farm north of Bridgeport. For a long time, it was known as the Greek Picnic," Dean said. 

The celebration was moved to the community center to accommodate more people.

This is the third year the festival has an inside and outside venue. She said the two locations give people the option of tighter quarters or outside where there is more room. 

"Our outside festival is first. It opens up at 1:30 p.m. at the Community Center in Bridgeport, and this includes a handful of different types of food booths. Our taverna, our bar, opens at this time. We have a silent auction that will begin, and the silent auction is new this year," Dean said.

There will also be cooking demonstrations in the outside festival.