YOUNGSTOWN — Diana Kindler may not be Greek, but that doesn’t mean she’s not in a position to make a longtime, beloved tradition considerably sweeter.

“I’m a traveling chef, so I don’t have one place, per se, to be,” said Kindler, who, for 42 years, has owned Diana’s Delectable Custom Chocolates in North Canton, and is fondly known as “the chocolate lady.”

Kindler, who has encyclopedic knowledge of the history of chocolate, was selling a wide variety of her chocolate-laden treats Saturday as part of the 39th annual St. Nicholas Greek Summerfest at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 220 N. Walnut St., downtown.

The family-friendly event began Thursday and continues 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. today at the church.

Kindler, who makes about 1,500 varieties of chocolate candy, popcorn and other items, noted that the first cocoa was introduced in the U.S. in 1748 in Dorchester, Mass., and that it was celebrated by the ancient Aztecs and Mayans. She also speaks at churches, schools, colleges, Rotary functions and other locations about the history of chocolate, said Kindler, who plans to be at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Warren later this month.

Kindler’s treats and their history also point to another layer of cultural diversity and longtime, entrenched traditions, which also are primary characteristics of the Greek fest.

The underlying purposes of the gathering, which also is a fundraiser for the church, are to promote a deeper understanding of, and appreciation for, Greek orthodoxy, traditions and culture, Tom Mikulka, who organized the dinners for the fest, explained.

One such tradition being practiced at the fest is using a 100-year-old recipe for making rice pilaf, which includes washing the grains seven times before baking them, said Mikulka, who married his wife in 1978 at the church and has been a member since.

Of course, no Summerfest would be complete without the traditional foods and pastries, along with the musical entertainment that hundreds of people of all ages enjoyed Saturday.

The main menu features lamb and Athenian roast dinners. Available a la carte items include tiropita (a pastry made with buttered phyllo and filled with an egg-and-cheese mixture), moussaka (a traditional eggplant casserole), pastitsio (a baked pasta dish with ground meat and a special sauce) and spanakopita (a spinach pie).

Where there are Greek meals, there are Greek pastries. Those include galaktoboureko (a flavored custard baked in layers of filo dough), ravani (a light farina and sugar cake soaked with honey syrup), finikia (oval-shaped cinnamon cookies dipped in syrup and sprinkled with ground walnuts) and karithopita (a dark walnut cake soaked in honey syrup).

Saturday’s entertainment featured dancers from St. Haralambos Greek Orthodox Church in Canton, who performed to an array of Greek tunes, including one from the 1964 comedy-drama film “Zorba the Greek.”

Also at the fest was the Rev. Joseph Z. DeStefano, who has pastored St. Nicholas Church about eight years. He set up a table that contained various pamphlets on Greek orthodoxy and was on hand to provide information on and address people’s questions about the topic.

Besides the usual recipe of food, fun, folklore and festivities, the Greek Summerfest showcases a generous helping of friendship and fellowship — specifically, the church’s love for the community, the principles of orthodoxy and overall inclusivity, Brett Roberts, an event co-chairman and church secretary, said.

“It’s a good way for us to share our orthodoxy, the church, our love of Christ and love for God, and sharing it with our community and as our orthodox tradition,” added Roberts, who grew up Protestant but later “fell in love” with Greek orthodoxy.