If you’re within spitting distance of Twitter this week, you’re well aware that the Feast food festival (officially known by its corporate handle Bon Appétit Presents Feast Portland food festival) kicks off this Thursday at 6 pm with the Sandwich Invitational over at the RoseQuarter Commons.
Presently, nearly every Feast event has sold out. But for those of you who didn’t get or couldn’t afford tentpole event tickets, there are still a few official—and unofficial—events you can attend if you want to get in the Feast spirit. And all of them are either affordable or outright free.
“There are some cool off-the-grid stuff happening around town—both official and unofficial,” says Feast co-founder Mike Thelin, who adds that the unofficial Feast stuff is what really brings Portland to life during the festival. “New Seasons is doing a free event on Saturday at the Slabtown store, and there's always the Saturday PSU Farmers Market. I love going [there] during Feast, as it's fun to see all the visiting chefs go gaga over our produce. We are really fortunate to live here.”
Unofficial events aside, if you do want to attend one of the events that haven’t sold out, read on after the jump. And remember: You don’t have to eat everything that’s put in front of you. Meat sweats are real and are not to be trifled with.
Friday Grand Tasting
What: More than 80 food vendors take over Pioneer Square on Friday afternoon, giving you the opportunity to try samples from some of the region’s—and nation’s—premiere brewers, vintners, bakers, and cheesemakers.
When and Where: 1 to 5 pm, Pioneer Courthouse Square
Cost: $65
Drink Tank: Quenching America’s New Thirst
What: This Drink Tank seminar explores—and samples—the versatile wine known as Beaujolais.
When and Where: 2 to 3 pm, Director Park
Cost: $55
Drink Tank: Pilsners: So Fresh and So Clean
What: This Drink Tank seminar is exactly what it sounds like: an hour-long talk about pilsners in all their elegant simplicity.
When and Where: 4 to 5 pm, Director Park
Cost: $35
Drink Tank: Kilts Not Required: American Single Malts
What: This Drink Tank seminar is also exactly what it sounds like: a class, with samples, on American single malt whiskeys.
When and Where: 2 to 3 pm, Director Park
Cost: $45
Drink Tank: Power Punch: Drinks for a Crowd
What: Ibid, only this time it’s about how to make your punch go a long, long way at your next house party.
When and Where: 4 to 5 pm, Director Park
Cost: $45
Botany 201: Palate Cross Training
What: The folks from Smith Teamaker will be on hand to talk about identifying their teas’ tasting notes because why should oenophiles and sommeliers get all the fancy words?
When and Where: 10 am to noon, Smith Tea Tasting Room, 110 SE Washington St.
Cost: $75
Because Breakfast
What: Bakers from Portland, Seattle, and Boston offer up their finest donuts, pastries, and crêpes, which will be paired with Tea Bar lattes and Stumptown Cold Brew cocktails.
When and Where: 11 am to 2 pm, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, 100 SE Salmon St.
Cost: $75
Spiked Tea with Bull in China
What: The barware-producing bartenders from Bull in China are teaming up with Smith Teamaker to explore the many, many ways one can spike tea for delicious home cocktails.
When and Where: 1 to 3 pm, The Commons, 630 SE Belmont St.
Cost: $75
Pizza and Burgers
What: For some reason, this event that zeroes in on the country’s top two recession-proof foods hasn’t yet sold out, which means you still have time to score tickets to an event that lets you eat your way through Pizza Jerk and Lovely Fifty Fifty pizzas and burgers from Slow Bar and Bless Your Heart Burgers.
When and Where: 4:30 to 7:30 pm, Pizza Jerk, 5028 NE 42nd Ave.
Cost: $75
The Package
If you happen to have a spare $570 laying around, you can still buy entry into what Feast bills as "The Package," which grants you access to the festival’s top events including the Sandwich Invitational, Friday and Saturday’s Grand Tasting, Night Market, Smoked!, and Brunch Village. But you’d better act fast. At the time of publication there were just seven tickets left.
