The Church of the Annunciation’s annual Greek Food Fair and Christmas Bazaar is like fine wine; it’s getting bigger and better with age.

Last weekend’s two-day event, which began years ago when the Greek Orthodox Parish was still on Pine Street in Providence rather than its current location on Oaklawn Avenue in Cranston, attracted a record-setting crowd.

In keeping with its storied tradition, the Good Samaritan Ladies Philoptochos Society transformed the Peter G. Mihailides Center into a winter wonderland, replete with Christmas tree centerpieces on red table coverings, a shopper’s paradise for everything from vintage jewelry and treasures, holiday decorations and a unique raffle featuring three dozen valuable gift cards.

However, the focal points were Annunciation’s famous food and pastry, which were mostly sold out by Sunday afternoon’s 4 o’clock closing time.

“People kept telling us you have the best Greek food in the state,” co-chairladies Georgia Pappas and Elizabeth Degaitas said. “The pastry is absolutely delicious; you ladies should be very proud of what this even has become.”

But what makes the annual Greek Food Fair and Christmas Bazaar (as well as the famous Cranston Greek Festival that’s held in September) an unmatched fun, family and food event?

For starters, countless proud parishioners coming together and performing a myriad of duties from baking to securing gift baskets and staffing areas like the Taverna and Pastry Shoppe, which were both overflowing with people for nine hours Saturday and almost five hours Sunday.

“It’s all in our system(s)!” Pappas and DeGaitas explained. “We have baking nights leading up to this weekend; perhaps the most important thing that the women – and men – of our parish love our church and always put their best efforts forward.”

Take preparing meat for the famous gyro sandwich, for example.

Enter Jim Harritos and Ari Tsonis, just to name a few of Annunciation’s experienced volunteer cooks, whose main duty was preparing then slicing meat from nine 30-pound plus rounds for the famous gyro sandwich, which proved to be the biggest seller.

Likewise, the Taverna – where people carrying trays served delicious dinners like chicken shish-kabob to pastitsio (Greek lasagna) and more by parishioners like Lakis Andreotis, Roula Proyous, Koula Rougas, Vasso Sampalis, Kathy Gramis, Lecei Erinakos. Thalia Wood, Ania Dlesinski, Hoda Daiaaa, Zalfa Geha and Matty Badway.

Pastry co-chairs Nancy Harritos and Angela Provost as well as other ladies worked tirelessly filling orders for baklava, kouroulakia, diples, and spanakopita, just to name a few special sweets, as well as the famous rice pudding.

Thus, after the Philoptochos Society covers expenses, the unique non-profit which as its name says indicates means “Friends of the Poor” will again help agencies such as the American Cancer Society, Amos House, Bradley Hospital, Arthritis Foundation, Hasbro Children’s Hospital, Interfaith Food Ministry, the homeless and many more charitable groups as it has in the past.