Entry is open to the public, with an admission fee of $15 per person.
Admission allows entry to both days - Saturday & Sunday.
Children under twelve are admitted free.
A porcelain tasting cup and shopping bag will be provided as part the admission fee (as long as supplies last). The tasting cup allows sampling of tea at the program sessions and at the exhibiting vendor booths.
There is no additional cost for entry to the exhibiting vendor area. Most stage presentations and workshop sessions are free.
Some workshops do have additional fees. Refer to the schedule below for details.
The Northwest Tea Festival Tea Bar - Returns again this year
The Tea Bar is free and can be found in the east side of the Exhibition Hall. It will be open throughout the afternoon and will be serving dozens of different kinds of tea in a variety of quick and fun themes. Similar teas will be compared. Unusual teas will be explored. Rare teas will be savored.
The tea bar is an opportunity for a couple of quick cups of tea with a educational bonus!
Be sure to visit it, we are sure you will be glad you did.
Click on the above schedule to download a printable copy.
This emerald green Japanese tea has truly won hearts across the country. In this tasty session, experience different types of matcha (ceremonial, culinary and daily enjoyment grades), how to distinguish poor quality/freshness issues, and get some hands-on experience whisking your own tea. Come get blissed out and creatively energized with matcha! All attendees will leave this workshop with thier very own whisk to use at home.
Max 20 attendees
$25 Fee
This class will go over a brief history of growing tea in the USA, then move into the present and future of the industry. It is not merely possible to grow tea in the US, it can be profitable, practical, and fun! You will learn the basics of growing tea, how to find resources for small and large scale growing, and sources for tea plants.
Free
Learn how tea is made from cultivation and processing and how it affects the cup. Deepen your understanding of the art behind tea making and how a tea farmer may choose to best express the leaf. Taste a selection including my single-estate green teas to illustrate the impact plant variety, oxidation, and fertilizer use have on taste. Discover how natural tea tastes and why the challenges of producing this tea has brought us to where we are today.
90 minute session
Max 20 Attendees
Fee $25
Are you new to the world of fine tea? Are you just beginning to appreciate tea's depth and beauty? Do you want to get the most out of the NW Tea Festival?
This introductory workshop is a crash course on tea: its history, where and how it's grown, how it's picked and processed to create different styles, how to store and brew it, and debunking the most common myths and misunderstandings. All in a whirlwind 50 minutes, while we sample some of the world's most famous teas!
Max 25 Attendees
$10 fee
Bowl tea is about mindfulness, meditation, and creating ceremonial space. It is unadorned, accessible, and reduces tea to its simplest form - leaves, water, and heat. Bowl tea allows us to quiet the qualitative mind and rest in the present moment, connecting us to Nature, ourselves, and others.
During this session, attendees will be served tea and experience a Leaves in a Bowl Tea Ceremony, as well as learn about bowl tea and its role in a tea practice (including how to get started).
Max 12 Attendees
Free
Note - this tea tasting will be repeated on Sunday 11:00am-11;30am
Bowl Style Brewing: A simple and intimate way of enjoying tea. All that’s needed is a bowl, hot water and tea leaf. Come to this tasting and explore tea with all of your senses. (Bowls provided)
Max 12 Attendees
Free
Join Josephine Pan for an introduction to a State of the Art World-Class Taiwanese Tea Venture - Laopi Tea Farm
This is a new and big project with 1200 acres tea plantation and a modern tea processing facility done by Taiwan Tea Corporation in Southern Taiwan. A total solution for Food Safety, Ecology, and Technology to change Taiwan's tea industry.
Free
Dive into the world of Pu-erh tea, an often-misunderstood variety of dark tea exclusively grown in Yunnan Province, China.
Pu-erh expert Jeffrey McIntosh will help you uncover what makes Pu-erh so mystical, including differentiating between raw and ripe variations, properly brewing and storing pu-erh, exploring tea fermentation, health benefits, and tasting notes unique to both raw and ripe pu-erh teas.
Savor some clean pu-erh teas and walk away feeling confident in your newfound knowledge. After the tea tasting session, participants will have an opportunity for a Q&A session.
Max 30 Attendees
$35 fee
- Note: This tea tasting will be repeated in this booth on Sunday 12:00pm-12:30pm
Please join us in tasting and discussing the emergence of this seldom known tea type from the oldest growing region in China, Yunnan.
Max 12 Attendees
Free
Taiwan has a rich history of tea, as well as an innovative modern industry.
We'll explore Taiwan's famous high-mountain oolong teas, as well as other styles such as Baozhong, Oriental Beauty, and Wild Black.
We'll learn to appreciate the full spectrum of tea from Taiwan, including how to brew it using traditional methods in order to most fully enjoy it.
Max 25 Attendees
$10 fee
Join me for a tea tasting journey around the world as we explore the exciting origins of tea as we know it today! Our journey will begin with the world's oldest known tea in China and stories of how it traveled on the ancient tea horse road. Our journey will continue to the shores of Europe when tea first arrived by ship in the 17th century only to be followed by the riveting tale of British spies heading to China to discover its mysterious secrets. The adventure will continue on American soils with stories of how tea was woven into the very historical fabric of the America's independence. Finally, we will touch upon how tea influenced the culture of British High Society. You'll conclude our adventure amazed by how much of our world history has been influenced by tea and how much it continues to influence our evolving culture today.
Thank you to Miro Tea for donating some of the teas used in this workshop.
Max 30 attendees
$15 fee
As an overview of her newest book, Jane Pettigrew's World of Tea, Jane will explore the historical background and reasons why tea is now grown in 67 countries. She will discuss traditional tea regions such as China, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea where tea has been grown for centuries and developed for domestic consumption, as well as regions where tea growing came about as a result of colonization (Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, East Africa, etc.) and regions that have developed much more recently to create jobs, as a cash crop, or simply because people love growing tea.
Visit Jane and learn more about her book at the Tea Time Magazine Booth #39
Free
- Note this tea tasting will be repeated in this space Sunday 1:00pm - 1:30pm
Not all white tea is delicate and floral. White tea is also known as "Year one a tea, year three a medicine, and year seven a treasure." In this focused tasting session, we will explore a couple different aged white teas to taste what time does to white tea.
Max 12 Attendees
Free
No really! The experience that you call "taste" is influenced by so many factors that have nothing to do with what you're tasting, that it's hard to argue that you can taste tea. In this class you'll learn what steps you can take to minimize these "outside influences" for more accurate tasting, peek into parts of the science of perception that'll be useful for tea tasters, and we'll debunk some commonly held sensory myths.
Max 12 Attendees
Free
Note - This tea tasting will be repeated in this tasting booth:
- Saturday 2:00pm-2:30pm
- Sunday 1:30am-2:00pm & 2:00am-2:30pm
Participants will sample syrups infused with the flavors of different teas, and will then be served an Italian Soda with a tea-syrup of their choice. Preparation of syrups will also be explained.
Max 12 Attendees
Free
This talk provides an overview of and updates on the University of California at Davis’s Global Tea Initiative for the Study of Tea Culture and Science.
I will describe its mission, goals, and the steps already taken on the path to becoming the Global Tea Institute. A Q&A follows the talk. Questions and suggestions are welcome.
Visit our website for more information about the Global Tea Initiative: https://globaltea.ucdavis.edu/
Free
Grab your tea pot and come play with us! Everybody brews and everybody drinks tea! Or you are always welcome to just watch and drink tea.
Wu-Wo tea ceremony allows many participants to brew and share tea together at the same time. No experience necessary.
If you would like to participate as a brewer, please watch the below video on the basics of the Wu-Wo ceremony and what to bring.
Hot water will be provided.
Video: Basics of Wu-Wo | Northwest Wu-Wo Tea Association
Max 15 brewers – 15 observers
Free
This is the second public viewing of Floating Leaves' mini documentary featuring veteran farmers and roasters in Taiwan. This film offers a glimpse into their generational knowledge of Dong Ding oolong.
Following the screening and Q&A, Shiuwen will brew the oolong from the film and explore the ways traditional processing shows in your cup. You will also learn why tea connoisseurs of Taiwan covet a good traditional Dong Ding oolong. All proceeds go to helping the team return to Taiwan to finish their full length film project, a portrait of the master charcoal roaster who originally inspired the project.
$15 fee
Max 30 Attendees
What's it like to be a professional tea taster? In this hands-on class, get up close and personal with a challenging variety of teas and origins, while learning professional standards for brewing, tasting and describing tea. You'll gain a deeper understanding behind the complexity of tea sourcing, and what a professional taster looks for at the cupping table in terms of quality.
Always one of our most popular sessions at the Northwest Tea Festival, our cupping workshops are different every year and always sell out - so book early!
Session includes a cupping set for each attendee to take home to continue to practice the new cupping skills.
90 minute session.
Max 20 Attendees
$30 fee
The consummate insider’s view of what’s happening in the world of tea and with tea in the US and the wider world. Let Norwood tell you what’s currently on his mind and question him about what’s on your mind and whatever else you’d like to know about tea. You are sure to enjoy learning during our annual discourse with the author and wit who continues to inspire the North West Tea Festival.
Free
So you brew matcha in a teapot, right?” If you’ve found yourself with similar (or maybe less embarrassing) questions, this class is for you! You’ll be introduced to the staple Japanese teaware for most everyday brewing, as well learning how to recognize signs of quality and becoming acquainted with specific vessels for higher grade teas. Learn the most suitable teaware to get the best brewing and flavor experience from your tea, with a focus on Japanese loose leaf teas. This workshop will be a hands-on experience actually using teaware you’ll be introduced to.
Max 12 Attendees
Free
Explore the six basic types of tea - White, Yellow and Green, Oolong, Black and Post Fermented. Experience their tastes, learn how they are produced. Best brewing techniques for each type will be discussed as well as how to select the best tea for your enjoyment.
60 minute session
Max 12 Attendees
Free
This presentation will review the small farm setting in coastal California and the potential for tea production and educational experiences around tea processing as alternative crop enterprises on coastal California small farms. High quality tea production has been demonstrated on coastal CA small farms and many alternatives exist to incorporate tea into small farm agritourism opportunities. Tea variety gardens, UPik tea processing, tea tasting, and tea ceremonies all could be viable options for an area with well-established diverse tourism experiences.
Free
Gabriel will guide you through a tasting of four paired wines and teas. During the presentation and tasting experience we will delve deeply into the culture, farming and processes that makes both the wine and tea worlds so fascinating. Gabriel has selected four Chinese teas to pour with four French wines. We will discuss both similarities and differences as we explore two of the most popular and complex beverages in the world.
Must be at least 21 years of age with photo ID to attend
Max 20 Attendees
$30 Fee
We look at the biochemical and cellular changes occurring during the 24-hour process that turns fresh green leaf into dry black tea. How process conditions interact with chemistry to determine quality and how this can be optimized or, when done badly, lessened. How orthodox manufacture differs from CTC. How can leaf from one green bush make so many different types of tea? Some of your tea processing FAQs answered.
Free
This ceremony is based on traditional Chinese Gong-Fu (literally “making tea with skill”) dating back over 400 years to the Ming Dynasty. 40 years ago Grand Master Tsai of the Lu-Yu Tea Culture Institute realized that Gong-Fu brewing was headed for extinction as Taiwan society modernized. In response, Master Tsai modified traditional Gong-Fu service to create a formal ceremony that was not only elegant and relaxed but also neat and practical. This demonstration will include an explanation of the basic procedure and equipment used in this skillful brewing method.
Max 12 Attendees
$10 fee
Tasting the famous Taiwanese Oolong teas and hearing their unique ways of manufactory - Why is the Bao Zhong tea wrapped in a squared paper? What's the differences between the High Mountain teas and other Oolongs? Why is the famous Taiwanese black tea grown near Sun Moon Lake? Join Sally for a journey to Taiwan!
Max 12 Attendees
Free
Note - This tea tasting will be repeated in this tasting booth Sat at 4:00pm-4:30pm
Explore how three different brewing styles affect the same tea. Gyokuro, a premium grade of Japanese shade-grown green tea, is a delicious base for this experiment because of its sensitivity to temperature variations and rich umami quality. Learn how the tea's flavor and body change at high temperature, room temperature, and after a slow steep under melting ice ('Shinobi' style).
Max 12 Attendees
Free
Find a surprising way to offer Japanese teas in a fun social setting! Come to our relaxing and informative tea party. You will use your senses to savor and to learn about various types of Japanese teas along with useful tips for pairing them with delicious foods. Whether you love Japanese teas or not, you will find how entertaining simple a Japanese tea party can be. All you need to bring is your curiosity and imagination. We will provide all the teas, foods, and a surprise.
Max 20 Attendees
$15 fee
South Korea enjoys a tea history more than 2000 years old that celebrates and remains one of the bulwarks of both ancient and contemporary Korean culture. Four distinct regions produce many different Korean teas. Our workshop will enjoy an overview of little-known history, sample a range of teas and discuss the differences in between these and other world teas. Hopefully, each guest will leave with curiosity and resources to explore much more about the world of Korean teas than we will be able to cover together.
Max 20 Attendees
$10 fee
Learn the versatility of green tea through a culinary experience. From steeping a Gyokuro tea for a delectable Japanese delicacy to a delicious Sencha BBQ Rub, This interactive workshop will inspire you to experiment with nature's beautiful tea leaf and its delicious taste profiles. From loose leaf tea to the celebrated Matcha powder, special recipes will be shared with tastes to be enjoyed by all.
Max 12 Attendees
Fee $10
Tea has a history--and although we love the drink and think it a gentle brew--it has been part of some really good, scandalous stories!
We'll spend 50 minutes tracing history involving a number of notable characters--their deeds and devices, and take pleasure in tasting some teas that just might have been in their cups.
Max 20 Attendees
$10 fee
Bowl tea is about mindfulness, meditation, and creating ceremonial space. It is unadorned, accessible, and reduces tea to its simplest form - leaves, water, and heat. Bowl tea allows us to quiet the qualitative mind and rest in the present moment, connecting us to Nature, ourselves, and others.
During this session, attendees will be served tea and experience a Side-Handle Bowl Tea Ceremony, as well as learn about bowl tea and its role in a tea practice (including how to get started).
Max 12 Attendees
Free
It takes a lot of efforts and processes to make the perfect cup of tea in your hand. They may look very different from one cup to another.
Many people treat tea as an art. Some people take it as a science and dig into what makes the tea tastes and looks the way it is.
Max 25 Attendees
$10 fee
Join with Jeffrey McIntosh as he shares with you his personal experience in the tea industry in the past 10 years, visiting multiple tea mountains and tea growing regions, he will share with you his journey and knowledge about what is Pu-erh tea, how to differentiate safe and clean Pu-erh tea and what are the health benefits of Pu-erh tea.
Free
Participants will learn of different methods for infusing the flavors of tea into different foods, as well as why some methods work better than others.
Delicious examples will be made available if participants wish to indulge.
Note; This workshop will be offered again on Sunday in this workshop space at 3:00pm - 4:00 pm
Max 20 attendees
$10 Fee
Learn about superfoods and adaptogens and how you can easily get all their potent heath benefits by drinking them. Learn which powders to use, where to buy them and how to prepare them into delicious, creamy hot and iced lattes. Learn about healing powders such as turmeric, beetroot, moringa, matcha, spirulina, mushrooms, maca, ashwagandha and more. You will learn how to use commercially purchased blends as well as how to mix your own recipes.
Max 20 Attendees
$25 Fee
This workshop will provide an in-depth tasting experience with floral inclusions in traditional Chinese teas. We will cover both common and unusual flowery additions in a variety of tea types, and demonstrate effective ways of using them with your teas at home. Participants will receive samples of the florals used to take home.
Max 20 Attendees
$10 fee
Explore the variety of flavors this class of tea has to offer. Oolongs occupy the expansive range of oxidation between green and black teas. They have a long history in China and are so revered that whole towns are devoted to making tea pots solely for brewing Oolong. Learn where they come from, how their processed, and the legends behind them.
Taste them for yourself and then walk away with the information you’ll need to take your friends and family on a tea tasting journey of their own.
Max 20 Attendees
$20 Fee
“So you brew matcha in a teapot, right?” If you’ve found yourself with similar (or maybe less embarrassing) questions, this presentation is for you! You’ll be introduced to the staple Japanese teaware for most everyday brewing, as well learning how to recognize signs of quality and becoming acquainted with specific vessels for higher grade teas. Learn the most suitable teaware to get the best brewing and flavor experience from your tea, with a focus on Japanese loose leaf teas.
Free
The names given to Taiwan's most renowned teas represent one of the following general categories: cultivar, growing region, or processing methods.
We will explore all of the notable tea names in Taiwan, with an explanation of the distinguishing aspects of each tea, where they are produced, and how they are made.
Free
To evaluate the quality of pu-erh is multi-dimensional. In addition to savoring the tea’s flavor, pu-erh drinkers focus on the sensory perceptions of the tea, the most talked about of which are “hui gan” and “hui tian” (returning sweet). Join Linda Louie of Bana Tea Company in a focused tasting to explore the unique sensory experiences offered in high quality pu-erh tea. Participants will learn how to identify different sensations in the palate as they taste the changing flavors of different infusions. There will also be a discussion on the cultural and physiological implications of “gan.”
Max 10 Attendees
$15 Fee
Bowl Style Brewing: A simple and intimate way of enjoying tea. All that’s needed is a bowl, hot water and tea leaf. Come to this tasting and explore tea with all of your senses. (Bowls provided)
Max 12 Attendees
Free
If you're drinking good tea, you need good water. Learn how to choose the right water for your tea in this workshop, with a tasting of teas brewed with various water types, and a discussion of sourcing good, sustainable water for everyday use.
Max 15 Attendees
$10 Fee
First we will briefly discuss the difference between "authentic" and "counterfeit" as it applies to tea. Next we examine the scope of counterfeiting in the tea industry and then turn attention to the case of Taiwan. We'll look at instances of adulteration of teas and of "passing off" on the appellation of some tea in Taiwan. Attendees will have the opportunity to examine and taste both authentic and counterfeit teas that claim Taiwanese provenance. Finally, we look at some of the ways to avoid the counterfeit tea trap.
Max 25 Attendees
$10 fee
During this lecture and tasting class, each participant will sit in an intimate environment with Jeffrey McIntosh as he explains what makes famous mountain Pu-erh tea so unique and taste two kinds of famous Mountains Pu-erh teas.
Due to the wide range of pricing between famous and non-famous mountain teas, there are lots of misinterpretations about the reason behind the price. There are lots of subtle differences in taste and regional characteristics which are vastly unique to each mountain region. Step by step, Pu-erh expert Jeffrey McIntosh will explain and reveal why famous mountain Pu-erh is the most sought-after tea. Jeffrey will explain how to understand and taste famous mountain Pu-erh teas, and what to look for when trying to find your favorite taste.
After the tea tasting session, participants will have an opportunity to attend a short Q&A session.
Max 20 Attendees
$45 fee
Tea historian Bruce Richardson takes you on a story-filled adventure through 350 years of tea's influence on British and American culture, commerce and customs.
From the exotic beverage's first appearance in coffee shops and royal bedrooms to the waters of Boston harbor and the novels of Jane Austen, you'll be fascinated by role tea has played - and continues to play - in Western society.
Free
Please join us in tasting and discussing the emergence of this seldom known tea type from the oldest growing region in China, Yunnan.
Max 12 Attendees
Free
Traditional tea preparation methods are spreading across the world. Tea service and Gongfu Cha are about a graceful presentation to serve the most beautiful cup of tea, but is this a tea ceremony? Learn about the various cultures around the world that have developed tea ceremonies that are studied and practiced by dedicated students for generations.
Free
Tasting the famous Taiwanese Oolong teas and hearing their unique ways of manufactory - Why is the Bao Zhong tea wrapped in a squared paper? What's the differences between the High Mountain teas and other Oolongs? Why is the famous Taiwanese black tea grown near Sun Moon Lake? Join Sally for a journey to Taiwan!
Max 12 Attendees
Free
You’ve learned the basics of tea cupping – the equipment, the technique, and the reasons for the protocols. How do you apply these skills to real life situations? With advanced tasting exercises, this collaborative workshop will focus on refining how we document and how we communicate. You’ll see how cupping can be used as the ultimate teaching tool, demonstrating the various characteristics of tea most effectively. Ideal for working tea professionals and dedicated enthusiasts looking to learn more about the trade. Please note: Participation in the “Intro to Professional Cupping” course is not required. However, participants should have some basic knowledge of tea cupping procedure for this advanced course.
90 Minute Session
Max 20 Attendees
$30 fee
Not all white tea is delicate and floral. White tea is also known as "Year one a tea, year three a medicine, and year seven a treasure." In this focused tasting session, we will explore a couple different aged white teas to taste what time does to white tea.
Max 12 Attendees
Free
In this tasting session we will explore the similarities and differences in the worlds of tea and wine. Gabriel will lead you through a tasting of some of his favorite teas will lead an open discussion on the many similarities between the cultures of wine and tea. The goal of this session is to dig into the history, culture, science, and art of two of the worlds most fascinating beverages.
Max 12 Attendees
$10 Fee
Free
From being an imperial tribute tea to a "must-have" tea at Dim Sum houses in Hong Kong, pu-erh stands as one of the world’s most coveted teas. This presentation explores the origin and cultivation, as well as its production and aging. Learn how to judge the quality of pu-erh and should pu-erh be drunk new or aged? Hear how to properly store and age pu-erh tea plus many more facts about this unique tea.
Free
Note: This tea tasting will be repeated in this booth:
Sunday - 2:00pm-2:30pm
Participants will sample syrups infused with the flavors of different teas, and will then be served an Italian Soda with a tea-syrup of their choice. Preparation of syrups will also be explained.
Max 12 Attendees
Free
Join Tea Master -Thomas Shu - learn about combining chi-go Ichi-e and tea. Ichi-go Ichi-e is a cultural concept of treasuring meetings with people.
One step ahead to the basics, this will be a hands-on tea tasting workshop designed to have all participants involved with the discussion with ample opportunity for question and answer during the tasting. You will learn the following:
1) Be humble in front of tea, return to "zero", reset and re-introduce yourself to tea.
2) Hands-On experience showing the 6 steps with 6 senses used to enjoy tea fully.
3) Obtain tea's Full FACTs: Flavor, Aroma, Color, Taste.
Max 25 attendees
$20 fee
Tea-growing in North and South America is a relatively new endeavor, particularly when compared to regions such as Asia. Let award-winning author and educator Jane Pettigrew be your guide as you taste offerings from countries like Colombia, Brazil, and Canada as well as from several states in the U.S.A., which are featured in her newest book, Jane Pettigrew’s World of Tea.
Max 12 Attendees
$10 Fee
Join Friday Afternoon Tea for a journey through Africa with teas from Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda and South Africa. We'll taste a range of styles from various soil types and altitudes while discussing new and exciting innovations in African tea production!
Max 12 Attendees
Free
Participants will learn of different methods for infusing the flavors of tea into different foods, as well as why some methods work better than others. Delicious examples will be made available if participants wish to indulge.
Max 20 Attendees
$10 fee
During this tasting you will sample and compare two Japanese and two Chinese teas. You will learn how the difference in processing the tea leaves affects the appearance and taste of the steeped tea. In addition you will learn the proper temperature and time for optimally steeping each tea.
Max 12 Attendees
Free
Who doesn't love cookies and tea? In this experience we'll taste four specially selected cookies (made from recipes from America's Test Kitchen) with four unique teas--chosen specifically to be paired with each other.
You'll learn interesting info about how the pairing choices evolved and how you might conduct your own tea and cookie experience. Roberta is an avid baker and of course loves tea and loves to teach--come spend a delightful and sweet 50 minutes with her.
Max 25 Attendees
$20 Fee
This presentation will cover the linguistic journey of tea diving into its' rich history and explain why in some parts of the world they call it "tea", and in some "chai". Building on presenters' extensive foreign language skills, you will learn different ways to order tea along with local traditions and rituals.
Free
In this presentation, we'll cover the basics of how to make tea from the leaves of our good friend Camellia Sinensis. Using video and pictures shot in tea gardens and tea factories in India, participants will learn:
What differentiates black, green, and white teas
The steps of tea processing including withering, rolling, oxidizing, and drying
The difference between tea for tea bags and loose leaf tea
Free
