Five Foodie Fests To Fill Stomachs and September Weekends
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
As fall approaches and the weather begins to turn, it seems our eyes and mouths turn toward food. A lot of food. So it’s no wonder that there is a cornucopia of culinary food events happening during the month of September. GoLocalPDX has harvested five of the best foodie fests happening in or near Portland over the next month.
Known (almost) most for what happens outside of competition than during, Nicky USA’s 14th Annual “Wild About Game” is a chance for chefs to check their toques at the door and let their freak foodie flags fly. This jam-packed, over-the-top weekend celebration centers on a kick-ass culinary competition between eight top chefs—four from Portland, four from Seattle—as they face off to produce the best dish featuring a Nicky Farms usually unusual meat. Each dish is then be presented to a “panel of food experts” as well as event attendees for judging. This year, Nicky USA’s Wild About Game is held in the Wy'east Annex at Timberline Lodge, and attendees are invited to sample each dish from the chef competition and vote for the winner as well as eat their way through the Artisan Marketplace.
Nicky USA’s 14th Annual Wild About Game, 11:30 am -4:30 pm Sunday, Sept. 7. Timberline Lodge, Timberline, Oregon.Advance tickets $65
So why does the oldest and one of the biggest Oktoberfest in Oregon happen in September? Oktoberfest refers less to the time of year as it does to the fact that is a word that can be applied to any harvest celebration. The 2014 Oktoberfest will feature 50 food booths as well as a large arts and crafts show.
For entertainment, the festival offers Friday and Saturday night street dances, a traditional Biergarten, family Weingarten, interactive Alpinegarten, concerts in St. Mary Parish Church, and an all-free kindergarten. Highlights of the 49th Annual Oktoberfest will include the "Original Donaumusikanten," a world class Bavarian band, flying directly from Germany. A new addition to the musical line up this year is Spitze! arriving from Florida, America's #1 Oktoberfest show band.
Oktoberfest, Mt. Angel, Thurs.-Sun., Sept. 11-14, Many events are free.Visit here for more information.
Feast Portland is a culinary showcase serving up the best resources our state has to offer. At Feast the top food talent from across the country pairs up with the bounty of our region in a plethora of exclusive, hard-to-get-tickets-for intimate dinners, large-scale tastings, hands-on classes and more, hosted at unique venues across the city, but held primarily in downtown Portland.
Now entering its third year, Feast Portland was named one of North America's 15 Best Food Festivals by Fodor's, and "the best food festival in the country" by Thrillist National. Yes, it is that good.
Read more about the line-up and festival at feastportland.com.
Polish culture is so much more than sausage and beer. North Portland’s Polish festival is an event for families and singles, adults and children, for food connoisseurs, music lovers, concert-goers, dance enthusiast…like we said, it is so much than bratwurst and brewskis. During the festival, patrons will be bombarded with an array of nonstop stage performances, including traditional dance groups and music bands, polka contests, a street dance as well as the beloved, delicious Polish food and imported Polish beer.
Polish Festival, 3900 N Failing St., 11 am-10 pm, Saturday, Sept. 20, noon- 6pm Sunday, Sept. 21. Free. Read more here.
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Billed as Oregon’s “largest plant-based food event” the ninth annual Portland VegFest will take place at the Oregon Convention Center. VegFest features presentations by some of the nation’s foremost experts on plant-based nutrition, cooking demonstrations, activities for kids and teenagers and more than 100 exhibitors showcasing vegan products, including free food samples, nonprofit organizations and local restaurants.
Event planners said attendees will be able to sample main dishes, desserts and chocolates, fresh organic produce, veggie burgers, nondairy cheeses, milks and ice creams. But it doesn’t stop there. Other food groups that will be represented include fruit smoothies and juices, hummus, whole grain breads and gluten-free crackers, tofu spreads and dips, nuts and seed butters, energy bars and on-the-go snacks, raw snacks and treats and much more.
Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE MLK, Jr. Blvd. Portland, OR 97232, 10 am- 6pm Sat.-Sun., Sept. 27-28. $8.Read more here.
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