Northwest Tea Festival Blog

Tea people in Seattle? In the coffee capital of the USA!?  With the surge in interest in the world’s second largest beverage of choice (water is first), it’s easy to understand why tea festivals are a new trend.  Tea festivals are thematic events featuring networking via tea education classes, tea tastings, tea films, tea vendors, and unite tea organizations and individuals.

The Northwest Tea Festival on October 4-5, 2008 is at Seattle Center famous for the landmark Space Needle.  A family-friendly affair, the tea festival offers a hands-on experience (teacup in hand of course) for anyone wanting to share a love of tea, to learn more about tea or just to tea schmooze.  It’s an entertaining educational weekend in the sense that SIFF (Seattle International Film Festival) is showing the highly acclaimed production “All in This Tea” along with other proposed tea films and tea classes.

Author, James Norwood Pratt, who is presiding over an exclusive tea dinner at 94 Stewart Restaurant at Pike Place Market, is a remarkably informed and interesting speaker.  Reservations are definitely recommended for the tea dinner.  At previous tea dinners, Mr. Pratt’s presentations have created guest waiting lists.  As an example, at a long ago tea dinner sponsored by APTI (now STI - Specialty Tea Institute) in Denver, all reserved tables were filled and there was a waiting list for seats.  Reserve early by signing up for the NW Tea Festival e-news!