St. Catherine’s Day in PDX: A Celebration of Women and Food

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Kirsten Nicolaisen, GoLocalPDX Digital Producer

Cathy Whims, owner of Nostrana restaurant in Southeast Portland

St. Catherine's Day in Portland is a food and drink tasting event that showcases the bounty of the Pacific Northwest and local female leaders in the food and beverage industry.

On St. Catherine's day in France, single women used to parade to the local St. Catherine statue wearing their best hats and dresses to pray for a husband and let everyone know they were available.

Thankfully Portland's St. Catherine day has a much more feminist theme.

The Portland St. Catherine's Day organization partnered with the Ovarian Cancer Alliance of Oregon and Southwest Washington, as well as some of the most respected local women chefs, winemakers, brewers, distillers and farmers to celebrate women in the culinary industry and spread awareness about ovarian cancer.

The event begins with a cocktail hour at Hotel Jupiter after which a short march starting at 3:30 PM will leave from the hotel and lead guests to the event's two venues: Coopers Hall and Union/Pine. Each venue will feature food and beverage tastings that highlight Oregon's best farms.

The event will begin at 2pm with a cocktail hour at the Hotel Jupiter after which a short march starting at 3:30 pm, will leave from the hotel and lead guests to both venues. Each venue will feature curated tastings of food and beverage pairings that highlight the abundance of fall from Oregon’s most valued farms. We invite you to join us and enjoy the refined tastes from some of Portland’s finest, while benefiting the Ovarian Cancer Alliance.

The event is 21 and over and tickets cost $75. All the proceeds benefit the Ovarian Cancer Alliance of Oregon and Southwest Washington. (Men are welcome too).

Portland St. Catherine's day begins at 2 PM, Sunday, Nobember 23 at the Jupiter Hotel. The parade begins at 3:30 PM and the food tasting beings at 4 PM and Coopers Hall and Union/Pine.

Banner Image: Nostrana Chef Cathy Whims