Can you believe it’s almost mid-August? Where did the entire summer go? Is it really the time of back to school sales already – and did those commercials for school supplies seem to run way early this year?

I haven’t been in school for a long time, and with no kids, September has not meant a reason to go shopping for school supplies. Instead it was just a time to start putting the summer strappy dresses away and taking out the cardigans for layering outfits. In a way, I missed that excitement of what a milestone September used to be, when it was time to go back and see all my school friends and be back with my social tribe.

Actually though, last September and this September I’ve been feeling that same enthusiasm and anticipation as the first day of school used to bring… and that’s because of Feast Portland.

Feast 2014 is a huge food and drink festival that will run this year from Thursday September 18 – Sunday September 21st, 2014. That’s only 5 weeks away!

Most of the over 30 food and drink events are located in various locations in downtown Portland, and draws food lovers from all over as the premier Portland food and drink festival of the year.

In fact Fodor lists it as one of the top 15 North America food festivals alongside The Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival, NYC Wine & Food Festival, and Aspen’s Food and Wine Classic. Pretty good since this is only Feast’s third birthday.

The festival draws food lovers and big food names from all over, varying from the fellow West Coasters of California and Washington to the cosmopolitan cities of Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, New York, Boston… and you can expect that many established and rising stars of Portland will also be there.

What this means to me is that like a special 4 day summer camp for adults, food lovers will be gathering at Feast to learn and share knowledge and most important, do a lot of eating and drinking of deliciousness.

When I attended Feast last year (both with a Feast Media pass and because I bought tickets to a couple events on my own dime), I came home every day with a big bag full of cards and pamphlets of new products I had just been introduced to, lots of scribbled notes of tips and ideas for future scrumptiousness, and a tummy full of so many distinctive bites and sips. For instance, what you see below was from just 2 hours in of Feast on Day 1…

If you’ve been to Feast before I’m probably preaching to the choir, so let me help give an overview to those who haven’t attended Feast before, and why you should strive to attend at least one event.

First, you should know that the tickets for each of these events is always all inclusive. That means all food and drink are included in your price. Also, all the events for ages 21 and over only.

Second, you should also keep in mind that the net proceeds of Feast go towards ending childhood hunger in Oregon through Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon and Share Our Strength. In it’s first two years, Feast has been able to raise $46,000 in 2012 and more than $52,000 in 2013 so far. So your money is not only getting you admission to all this food and drink, it’s also for a worthy and important cause.

Third, if you can’t afford a ticket, you might also consider applying to volunteer for Feast. Remember it’s all for a valuable cause, and also promoting so much culinary delight!

The Type of Events at Feast

There are 4 main types of events at Feast.

1. Hands On Classes

These are workshops where in small groups like in a hands on cooking class, you will be tutored on a specific subject, and all the classes are spread throughout the days of Saturday and Sunday of Feast food camp. They all take place at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts.

What makes these stand out from normal cooking classes is that you will be learning from a nationally, even internationally, recognized expert in that subject!

Six of the eight the classes have already sold out, so I won’t tease you with those. The classes that are still open as of this post in case this is something you want to be schooled by one of the best include

Photo Credit: Shawn Linehan All rights reserved by Feast Portland

Saturday, September 20, 2014

• Soda Jerk: Artisanal Soda Making with Ross Hunsinger. Learn how to craft amazing soda with fruit syrups and infusions in your own kitchen so you can make your own spruce cola, birch root beer, etc that are restaurant quality from Ross, the founder of Atlas Sodaworks and who provides soda for Aviary 3-4:30 PM for $65

Sunday, September 21, 2014

• Juicy Juice with Portland Juice Company. Have you been hearing about the juicing trend, varying from those on juice cleanses to those who just want to incorporate more healthy juices in their regular diet? Portland Juice Company can help you create winning combinations that are enjoyable and healthy. Class is from 11-12:30 PM for $65

2. Tasting Panels

These are classes where you get to taste a large variety of a special beverage while being educated on that particular beverage by expert tasting panel. Most of these run on Friday and Saturday and are held at the Portland Art Museum, outdoors under a tent in the museum’s sculpture area.

Friday, September 19, 2014

Photo Credit: Katie Acheff All rights reserved by Feast Portland

• Chardonnay is for Lovers aims to introduce you to a fresh perspective on this white wine from 12-1:00 PM for $55
• A Walk on the Sour Side explores sour beers from 2-3:00 PM for $55
• Negroni O’clock explores the classic negronis from various negroni experts of Seattle, Portland, and New York from 4-5:00 PM for $55

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Photo Credit: Katie Acheff All rights reserved by Feast Portland

• Tiny Bubbles takes a look at the bubbly beverages ranging from champagne to prosecco from 11-12:00 PM for $55
• Beans and Booze mixes coffee cocktails with you from 12:45-1:45 PM for $55
• Tastes Great. Less Filling challenges you to try lighter lager beeers from 2:30-3:30 PM for $55
• Get Lei’d: It’s Tiki Time takes you on a tiki cocktail journey from 4:15-5:15 PM for $55

3. Dinner Series

These are 10 dinners from Thursday to Sunday of Feast food camp. Each of unique dinners is a mash-up of chefs from various restaurants and various cities all contributing their skills and culinary perspective to a singular dinner experience for that one night. Every dinner includes drink pairings – remember, it’s all inclusive.

If you were to continue this school analogy, this would be the final projects of various self-selected groups… and your ticket to the dinner means you get to be the judge of how well the end project result is. And the groups are all made of your teachers.

Photo Credit: Shawn Linehan All rights reserved by Feast Portland

Last year, I did not buy a dinner series ticket, as I had decided to splurge on a ticket to High Comfort. This year, I decided that I wanted one of these special Dinners instead.

Nine out of ten of these once in a lifetime dinners are already sold out, including the one I have a ticket to – the State of the Art with Adelsheim Vineyard and Willamette Valley Vineyards and chefs from 5 different cities but all individually defining the boundaries of modernist cuisine.

There is only one dinner left with tickets on sale, if you are interested:

• Dessert for Dinner brings together 5 dessert chefs plus pairings of the courses with Sherries and Madeiras for one sweet time on Thursday September 18th at 7 PM for $100

I’ll try to take as many photos as I can of my dinner experience with State of the Art so you can see for yourselves what these final project report outs are like!

4. Main Marquee Events

Finally, the events that are like the school science fairs… but better because instead you can eat these, and the booths are all about deliciuosness.

These are five Marquee events which operate similar to open markets for you to sample from various tables. Unlike the previous three types which are in smaller groups, the Marquee events involve you being a lot more on your feet and in control of what, when, and where you’ll be as you wander as you’d like to each sampling station.

If you have ever seen on shows like Top Chef when the chefs each are manning a station putting forth a small sample dish they have conceived- that’s what these first four Marquee events are like.

Sandwich Invitational

The official name of this marquee event is Widmer Brothers Brewing Sandwich Invitational Presented by Dave’s Killer Bread. This runs on Thursday September 18th from 6-9:00 PM in Director Park.

Photo Credit: John Valls All rights reserved by Feast Portland

For $95 , for those 3 hours you can have at least 14 slider sized or better sandwiches, one from each of the 14 chefs in the lineup, including from visiting chefs like Hugh Acheson, Chris Cosentino, Paul Kahan and Matt McCallister as well as ten more Portland chefs from fine restaurants and the reigning sandwich kings of Portland, Rick Gencaralli of Lardo and also Tommy Habetz and Nick Wood of Bunk Sandwiches.

Photo Credit: Allison Jones All rights reserved by Feast Portland

Oh yeah, and there’s also free flowing Widmer Brothers beer, cocktails by Reyka Vodka, and six wineries pouring all night. I attended this event last year – you can see my recap that was in my post in 2013 here – and I’ll also be attending this year!

Night Market

This is always the first Marquee Event to sell out- and it has just indeed sold out in the past week! The official name of this event is USA Pears Night Market at Zidell Yards and runs on Friday September 19th from 6-9:00 PM at Zidell Yards.

Photo Credit: Allison Jones All rights reserved by Feast Portland

For $125, for those 3 hours you can journey to the markets of Asia to eat street food, courtesy of 20 chefs, each presenting their interpretation of a street food plate for you. You won’t be thirsty though with 10 breweries, 6 wineries, and 9 distilleries keeping your glasses full. Given the famous names in the chef lineup, it’s no surprise this event is so popular.

High Comfort

Of all the five events, this is the one that is the fancy dress up and dine on comfort food like you were the 1%. The official name of this marquee event is Oregonian Media Group High Comfort at the Nines, held at the Nines Hotel on Saturday September 20th from 6-9:00 PM.

For  $175, for those 3 hours you can eat comfort food that has been upped in decadence and luxury from 20 different chef stations while enjoying generous pours of Widmer Beer, cocktails by Hendrick’s Gin, or keeping your wine glass full thanks to 15 wineries.

Photo Credit: John Valls All rights reserved by Feast Portland

I attended High Comfort last year in 2013: here’s my recap if you are interested in what it was like, and I’m sure it will be even better this year.

Brunch Village

This is a new marquee event for Feast’s third year. The Tillamook Brunch Village is taking over Pioneer Square held at the Nines Hotel on Saturday September 20th from 11-:200 PM.

For $75, you get a long and leisurely 4 hours to enjoy brunch bites from several nationally known chefs including the familiar faces of BBQ King Aaron Franklin and Ace of Cakes/Charm City Cakes Duff Goldman and more, plus the 5 breweries and 5 wineries.

All this eating and drinking will be while also watching a Brunch Brawl on the Main Stage as five bartenders compete to make the best brunch cocktail. The pictures below are from the Portland Monthly Country Brunch I covered earlier, but I am guessing that the concept will be similar in that there will be enticing brunch bites like this…

   

I’ll be at the Brunch Village event, reporting back with my recap of this event after I probably waddle home and take a big long nap.

Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting

This two day marquee event is like the best farmers markets you have ever visited- be it your local city one, Pike Place Market in Seattle or Granville Island Public Market in Vancouver or the great big markets in Europe or Asia.

Don’t be surprised if you are even a little overwhelmed by all the various booths of artisans. After all, there are 15 breweries, 33 wineries, and 16 artisan product stands and more… with each stand usually having multiple items for you to sample, and most with a winemaker or the artisan maker of the food product right there on the other side of the table for you to ask all the questions you want.

Photo Credit: Allison Jones All rights reserved by Feast Portland
The $60 ticket to the Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting Presented by Alaska Airlines is good for all that that day (either Friday or Saturday) from 12-5:00 PM at Pioneer Courthouse Square.

I’ll be back in a few weeks with specific tips on how to make the most of Feast 2014 if you attend. Meanwhile, I hope this post has been helpful to understand what will be going on in mid-September and how delectable it is all going to be! If you want to find out more, visit FeastPortland.com

Disclosure: I was granted a Blogger Pass for Feast Portland 2014 for blog post and social media coverage but I am not otherwise being compensated. Even before I was given the Blogger Pass I already had tickets for some Feast events though- it just means I will have more to recap for you! Follow me on Instagram @pechluck or Twitter @pechluck and check this blog during Feast for updates, or check the hashtag #feastpdx.