Tea Festival Time Arrives

 Friday was time to set up for TeaFestPDX. Tents were going up. Rain was on the way.

Ready, Set, GO

The tent looked amazing! Thanks to all that helped and put it together.

This would be my last year to organize the tent.

I figure 10 years is a good run and time to hand it off to younger, more energetic ones.

Next to the British tent there was a tent for gently used teaware. It helps raise money for next years event and is very popular.

And so we begin!!!!

These first ladies, Lisa Hand and Lynelle Harder, present in the British tent every year and come in costume.

This year it was all about Beatrix Potter and tea.

Through out the day we have a table of donated tea related items that people thoroughly enjoy. I love that vendors are so generous to donate tea from Harney & Sons, Tea Time Magazine, and Effie's biscuits.

Our second presenter was Tony Tellin sharing the story of Earl Grey tea.

This was his second year and I love having him in the tent.

Then over the noon hour, Karmel and Devorah, shared their new children's tea book about Zesty with a hand craft and reading.

Kristen and Erin, from Framer's Touch shop in Forest Grove, returned for an exercise in teabag art.

Here is one example that someone painted on a teabag.

Jeni Dodd of Jeni Dodd Tea spoke of women's suffragettes and tea.

Jeni comes from New York just for our festival.

She was encouraging people to get involved.

Yours truly was the final presenter of the day. While the attendees enjoyed afternoon tea I read small excerpts from literature that referenced tea. I read quite a bit and find it fascinating how often I come across those characters inviting someone to have a "cuppa" or "let's put the kettle on".

There was some poetry read too.

Just as I began the rain did pour and the thunder clapped.

The tea food came in a lovely box put together by my partner at the British tent. I saved my tea time for dinner as I was too busy to eat.

The British tent has six presentations after which I took a short break to visit a few vendors and say hello. This year we had about 45 vendors and a lot of tea tasting was going on. I always stop by the ceramic artists booth; their pottery is so beautiful. Jeni Dodd Tea booth is in the background. I have offered to help her next year just to pour tea, much easier than organizing a whole tent.

Finally the TeaFestPDX is in the bag for 2026. It was a great year. The rain didn't keep anyone away, in fact there were more than ever coming to sip tea in the rain. We had people  from all around the world, even a writer for a magazine in Germany came to cover the festival. They said our reputation is that we are a top tea festival in the US and they wanted to check us out. I even met a tea farmer from Mississippi and two others from Sri Lanka. It was a great festival.

If you ever find yourself in Portland, Oregon at the end of June check out the tea festival at the World Forestry Center.

Sending love,

Marilyn

Another Year at the Tea Festival

Welcome to my coverage of TeaFestPDX, which took place last Saturday. Warning, this is picture heavy. I look forward to this event all year long. I plan for it, work for it, and then enjoy it.

The festival started in 2017 and has only missed one year because of Covid. The first three years I organized and ran the British Tea Tent by myself, with some good volunteers to pour the tea. After Covid I determined I needed someone to pick up some of the heavy work and work with me. So at the festival in 2022 I found an attendee, someone I didn't know; she was at my tent most of the day and I could really tell she was into the whole thing. At the end of the day I asked if she would like to work with me the next year and she said "yes". We have established such a special team and I couldn't continue to do it each year without her. She does the organizing of the tent with setting up, instructing the volunteers, and the tearing down and storing of supplies. Whew! That's a lot!!!!  I do the behind scenes part of getting 6 presenters, getting volunteers, and getting product donations. All stuff I can do on my computer. Then the day of I introduce the speakers and sit back and enjoy. 

Across from the British tent is a booth for selling gently used and some new teaware to support the festival in the coming year.

And then the door opens and about 3000 attendees entered and enjoyed.

Each year my first speaker is Lisa Hand and her sidekick, Lynelle.  They come in costume. This year their presentation was a celebration of 250 years with Jane Austin; so their costumes were from that era. 

The second speaker was Mike Raab. He came from the teashop, Tea for Two, in New Jersey and spoke on taxation issues with the tea party rebellion.

Our noon presenter was Marisa from Oranges and Blossoms, vegan bakery in Portland. She shared a lot about scones, from the difference between a British scone to an American scone, then vegan and gluten free scones. We thoroughly enjoyed her raspberry/pistachio scones. Marisa's bakery has won awards for her vegan bake goods and I had been working for about 4 years to get her to come and speak. What a treat!!!

And then there was Raj Vable from Young Mountain Tea Company. He and his wife, Mitra, came from Michigan for the festival. It was a treat to hear him talk on the influence of the British on the tea industry in India. Raj shared a black tea and a white tea. The black tea he had carried back from the new factory he was instrumental in helping to get built in Nepal.

The fifth speaker was Anthony "Tony" Tellin. He has been in the tea industry for a long time, having worked with Steven Smith at Tazo Tea, then later at Smith Teamaker. He shared his story of getting involved with tea and then introduced his new tea company, A.Tellin Co. The two teas he brought to share were both beautiful and tasted amazing.

Note the cup on the table in front of Tony. It was our festival cup for this year. 

The volunteers were all amazing. Hoping they can be in the tent again next year.

Our last event of the day was including a boxed afternoon tea. What a treat and I think everyone enjoyed having it.

Leah Murray from Eugene, is the director of a historic house/museum there. They sometimes host afternoon teas; so she share tea etiquette with the attendees.

I did take a little time late in the afternoon to stroll around the grounds of the festival.

This was Jeni Dodd serving tea in her booth. Crossing my fingers she will come next year and share her story in my tent. She comes from New York just for our festival. What a treat.

Tony Tellin left some tea for my volunteers and myself; so this week I am again celebrating tea from the festival.

 If you ever want to travel to a tea festival plan on coming next year. We are already making plans for another year with tea at the end of June.

 

Wow! I just read what I wrote and see I used the word "treat" a lot. Well the tea festival for me is always a treat and I love the connection with tea and tea friends. 

 

In the meantime, raise your cup in celebration for another successful festival.

 

Just to let you know, I am shutting down comments later today. I will be away from my computer for a couple weeks. It's been a long time since my "live-in gardener" and I have just taken off on an adventure for more than a couple days. Looking forward to the adventure. I will share when I return. 

 

Sending love,

Marilyn 

TeaFestPDX 2024

 TeaFestPDX - 2024

 

Last Friday was time to set up for the TeaFestPDX. The tent on the left is the British tent. It is the one I organize. I have organized it each year since 2017, except for 2 years during the pandemic. To the right is where the tea festival sells used teaware to raise money for next year. Setting up is fun -- Oh the anticipation!

My pictures actually are in reverse to what took place for me, but still happened.

Right below you will see the tea van and above are people sipping tea inside the van. They come every year and set up back against the trees. It's a very mellow vibe. I don't get to visit the vendors and tea sipping venues until late in the day, which is probably OK as it isn't as crowded.

The multi colored shirt guy to the left at this table attends all the tea festivals in the Pacific Northwest. He doesn't have a business, but still brings along his table and chairs and sits there all day sharing tea with anyone that wants to sit and drink awhile.

My last speaker of the day, Bryon Marie, spoke on the history of Suffragettes in Portland 100 years ago and was representing a local tea spot in a downtown hotel, Abigail Hall.

Kris and Erin from the Framer's Touch in Forest Grove along with myself shared about art on a teabag.

They have a tea bag art show every April in their shop. It's the show I participated in this year. Their energy and kindness to all the attendees in the tent was so special.

Jhanne and Zack from Stash Tea shared the book, All the Tea in China.

Representatives from the Daughters of the British Empire shared the history of afternoon tea and scones. They baked scones for each of the attendees in the British tent.

Stephanie was the Education Coordinator for the festival this year and did an amazing job. In 2020 I had scheduled Stephanie to talk about Suffragettes and Tea. Finally we got it done!!! I loved having her be a part of the British tent even though I know she was so busy elsewhere in the festival.

The first presentation each year is by Lisa Hand and her assistant, Lynelle. They always come in costume and have something fun to share. This year it was the Language of Flowers.

Here is the tent ready for the day. My volunteers are the best and have fun working to make it a pleasant tea sort of day for each attendee.

Used teaware for sale. I resisted, though tempted.

Before we started the day I did a quick run through part of the vendor tent.

A bowl full of ceramic tiny bunnies for the tea table by Jonathon Steele. 

I did come home with one very tiny white bunny.

Note to Madelyne: The bunny is what "tea nerds" call a tea pet for their tea trays.

The ceramic artist booth.

Floating Leaves, Hi, Shuiwin!

The Tao of Tea gave ceremony demonstrations, which I missed. They were one of the festival sponsors this year.

Minto Tea farm from Salem, Oregon taught a class and sold tea plants and tea.

It's a really big vendor tent and there were more in one building too.

Hope you enjoyed a glimpse of TeaFestPDX - 2024.

 

Sending love and happy weekend!

Marilyn