As interest in tea has grown in the United States and Canada, the number of tea festivals and other tea gatherings has multiplied. There are active festivals in Toronto, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Ottawa, Seattle, and a host of other sites. As tea lovers reveled in the wealth of opportunities that had emerged, the sad announcement was made that after seven years of operating, the Victoria Tea Festival would no longer occur.

The news added a challenge for TeaTime Magazine which had developed a special event in conjunction with the festival called “An Occasion for Tea.”

TeaTime, under the direction of editor Lorna Reeves, chose not to cancel their event, however. Instead it has been expanded to a full weekend of activities and events for tea lovers.

From Friday, Feb. 7 to Sunday, Feb, 9, 2014, tea enthusiasts will gather at the Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia for three days of tea experiences. There will be afternoon tea in the Empress Tea Room, tea tastings, book signings, presentations, and a self-guided tea tour. The weekend’s presenters are Jane Pettigrew, James Norwood Pratt and Bruce Richardson. For more information, visit Tea Time Magazine or email [email protected]

Can’t make it to Victoria, but are interested in other tea festivals around the U.S. and Canada? Here’s a list of some options to consider as a vendor or an attendee:

February
Toronto Tea Festival – Feb. 1-2

March
San Francisco International Tea Festival – March (TBA)
Coffee & Tea Festival NYC – Mar. 22-23

May
Charleston Tea Plantation’s Annual First Flush Festival – May (TBA)
Kulov Tea Lovers Festival, Los Angeles – May (TBA)
World Tea Expo, Long Beach, Calif. – May 29-31

July/August
Rocky Mountain Tea Festival, Boulder, Colo. – July/August (TBA)

September
Los Angeles International Tea Festival – September (TBA)
Canada Coffee and Tea Show, Toronto – Sept. 28-29

October
Northwest Tea Festival, Seattle, Wash. – Oct. 4-5, 2014
Vancouver Tea Festival – November (TBA)
Coffee & Tea Festival Philly – Nov. 8-9
Ottawa Tea Festival – November (TBA)

Will you be attending any festivals this year? What do you find most useful about participating in these events?

SEATTLE, Wash. — The Northwest Tea Festival is in full swing today with an enthusiastic crowd at Seattle Center. The annual event includes workshops, tastings, exhibits and demonstrations.
Emeric Harney with Harney & Sons open the program Sunday telling attendees how tea is made.

Harney’s personal travels have taken him to Africa, Asia and India. He told attendees that in China they harvest in the spring and for limited times in Darjeeling, India, but in Assam they never stop plucking through most of the year, working six days a week.

His photos of Rwanda featured Sowarthe, an estate that worked hard to stabilize the soil in a rain-soaked region and produces organic teas for companies like Teavana. The next stop on his talk was South Africa to explain the origin and preparation of Rooibos. Needles of this plant lend sweetness and bark adds body and the characteristic red color.

“My grandfather John Harney convinced London’s Dorchester Hotel to buy tea from an American company with an Irish heritage,” he said pointing out that for the past five years the famous hotel has won awards for excellence of its tea. British legacy teas remain popular but companies must continue to innovate.
Millennials like himself will experience more flavors and more unique teas being developed, said Harney.