The Greek flag was raised over Philadelphia City Hall on Friday, April 24, opening Philadelphia’s Greek Independence Day Parade Weekend with a public ceremony that brought together Evzones, city officials, Greek diplomatic representatives, clergy, youth groups, and members of the Greek-American community.
Held at the North Apron of City Hall, the ceremony was organized by the Federation of Hellenic-American Societies of Philadelphia and Greater Delaware Valley. This year’s celebration carried added symbolism, marking both the 205th anniversary of Greek independence and the 250th anniversary of American independence.
The ceremony began with the arrival of the Evzones, the Presidential Guard of Greece, whose presence gave the gathering one of its most emotional moments. His Eminence Metropolitan Apostolos of New Jersey offered the invocation, joined by area clergy, followed by the singing of the American and Greek national anthems.
The Greek flag was then raised by the Evzones in front of City Hall.
Deputy City Representative Kyra Harris issued a proclamation on behalf of Mayor Cherelle Parker and the City of Philadelphia, designating Friday, April 24, 2026, as a day of commemoration for Greek Independence in Philadelphia.
The program included remarks by Demetrios Rozanitis, member of the Board of Directors of the Federation; Pennsylvania State Representative Steve Malagari; Rainy Papademetriou, Judge of the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas; Petros Dorizas, Consul at the Consulate General of Greece in New York; Harry Karapalides, Esq., president of the Federation; Metropolitan Apostolos; and Deputy City Representative Kyra Harris.
Watch the full flag-raising ceremony below:
Also in attendance were the youth of the Pontian Society “Akritai” of Philadelphia, dressed in traditional Pontian attire, along with national and regional representatives of the AHEPA family. They included Daughters of Penelope Grand President Antoinette Marousis Zachariades, AHEPA Executive Director Basil Mossaidis, AHEPA Past Supreme President George Horiates, and district leaders from AHEPA and the Daughters of Penelope.
The ceremony set the stage for a weekend of events leading to the Greek Independence Day Parade on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. This year’s parade honors past presidents of the Federation as Grand Marshals, recognizing their years of service and their role in sustaining one of Philadelphia’s most enduring Greek-American celebrations.
Greek Independence Day is observed annually on March 25 and commemorates the beginning of the Greek War of Independence in 1821. In Philadelphia, the City Hall flag raising has become more than a ceremonial gesture. It is a public reminder of the Greek-American community’s presence, history, and civic life in the region.
The weekend continues with commemorative services, community gatherings, the Eleftheria Gala, and the parade, bringing together churches, schools, organizations, and families from across the Greater Philadelphia area.