Tea Festival explores traditions and trends in tea tasting
Fourth annual Victoria Tea Festival
Feb 13, noon - 5pm; Feb 14, 10am – 4pm @ Crystal Garden, 713 Douglas Street
A one-stop shop for all things tea, the Victoria Tea Festival celebrates its fourth year as the largest public tea exhibition in North America on February 13 and 14 at the Crystal Garden. Weekend passes are $20 in advance, or $25 at the door.
Expecting over 3,000 attendees, the festival is expanding to provide more opportunities for festival goers to experience, learn, sample, touch, smell and inquire about all things tea and to engage in an exclusive, interactive and educational tea experience. Exquisite tea wares are available to buy and, for the first time, a limited edition souvenir tea-tasting cup—designed and generously donated by Artfarm—will be available for purchase.
Festival attendees can steep themselves in tea lore by taking in a complimentary presentation by tea experts who will share their knowledge on the presentation stage.
Saturday, February 13
- 1 pm – The Ache’s Pride: How Yerba Mate is Saving a Rainforest and Her People (Robert McCauley, cebador – Northernites Syndicate/Guayaki)
- 2 pm – Chinese Tea Ceremony (Daniela Cubelic, owner – Silk Road)
- 3 pm – Cooking with Tea (Heidi Fink, chef & food writer)
- 4 pm – English Tea Traditions and Blends (Susan Livingston, director of product development – Murchies)
Sunday, February 14
- 11 am – Rooibos and Honeybush Teas (Irene Drmla, owner – Special Teas Inc.)
- 12 pm – Taking the Chill off of Iced Teas (Bob Krul, CTC Brewt Corp. & Brendan Waye, The Tea Guy)
- 1 pm – Ceylon, The Island of Tea (Jennifer Petersen, master tea blender & tea business trainer)
- 2 pm – Refreshment of the Spirit: Oriental Tea & Wine Drinking Vessels (Barry Till, curator of Asian art – Art Gallery of Greater Victoria)
- 3 pm – Commentaries on Modern Life~Selected Teatime Readings (Earlene Grey, author)
Tickets are on sale now at all Serious Coffee locations, Silk Road and various other locations. Complete list of ticket outlets, event details and presentation descriptions...
The Victoria Tea Festival is a fundraiser for Camosun College’s Child Care Services.
Sponsored by: Silk Road, Murchies, Planet Organic, Bubby Rose’s Bakery, Victoria Conference Centre, Downtown Victoria Business Association, Industry Images, Butchart Gardens, The Fairmont Empress, JagaSilk, Serious Coffee, Inn at Laurel Point, Special Teas Inc., Chek News, The Times Colonist, and Ocean 98.5
Contacts
Lisa Stekelenburg
Manager, Camosun College Child Care Services
250–370–4889
www.victoriateafestival.com