The art of preserving has been in man’s wheelhouse since the dawn of time, but fermentation fandom has only recently reached the mainstream, spreading across the nation. Geek out at these fermentation fests all over and all year round. If you’d rather have your own fermentation festival at home, Cured magazine is now available for your reading pleasure.
The Portland Fermentation Festival
October 27, 2016
Portland, Oregon
Just in time for spooky Halloween festivities, the seventh annual Portland Fermentation Festival pairs tastings with discussions with some of the most revered fermenters in the country. Everything funky from pickles and kimchi to kombucha and kefir will be a topic of conversation. A panel of experts will talk about cheese, ciders, kimchi and more. Tickets are available here.
Curing Festival
January 2017 – April 2017
Southern Food and Beverage Museum, New Orleans, Louisiana
SoFAB will be kicking the new year off with a series of programs dedicated to curing in the American South. Once a month, demonstrations and classes led by experts centered around Southern traditions of smoking, fermented curing, freezing, confits, alcohol curing and processed canning will be free with museum admission. More details to come on SoFAB’s website.
San Diego Fermentation Festival
February 4, 2017
San Diego, California
DIY stations, fermented drink gardens as well as a Makers Marketplace are all set up under the beautiful San Diego sun. Yoga and sound healing are also available at this health-centric ferm fest.
Wild Brew Fest
March 12, 2017
Santa Barbara, California
Branching off from the Santa Barbara Fermentation Festival, the second annual Wild Brew Fest stars beer, cider, wine, spirits, sake, jun and more. Education is a major part of this festival, so be ready to learn a lot about your favorite alcoholic drinks.
Oregon Fermentation Festival
September 9, 2017
Portland, Oregon
Presenters, makers, yogis and more gather at Kruger’s Farm in northeast Portland annually for this all-ages probiotic party. The 21+ Ambrosia Garden is where bubbly ciders, beers and meads are available for sampling.
Just missed
Cultured Colorado
October 14-23, 2016
Various Locations
This tri-city celebration of all things fermented includes dinners, speakers, film festivals and more in Denver, Boulder and Fort Collins.
Vermont Fermentation Festival
October 16, 2016
Poultney, Vermont
Kombucha, dosa and cheese-making were only some of the classes available at the fourth annual Vermont Fermentation Festival. Festival-goers also looked into making a bean-based fermented yogurt.
Austin Fermentation Festival
October 2, 2016
Austin, Texas
Hosted by the Texas Farmers’ Market, this education-based day featured workshops, markets, live music, as well as food and drink, all of the fermented variety, of course. Proceeds from ticket sales went to the Texas Farmers’ Market Emergency Fund, which helps TFM farmers and producers.
Fermentation Fest: A Live Culture Convergence
October 1-9, 2016
Reedsburg, Wisconsin
Celebrating the art of preserving and fermentation, these nine days offer tastings, art events, demonstrations, over 40 cooking classes and more. New York Times best-selling author of Wild Fermentation and master expert Sandor Katz was a speaker at this year’s event.
Boston Fermentation Festival
August 28, 2016
Boston, Massachusetts
As part of the Boston Public Market, this free one-day festival brings together local fermenters and fans of funky stuff, who converse and share tricks of the trade. While this year’s festival has passed, Boston Ferments periodically hosts fermentation workshops and dinners. The next one is on December 12.
Farm to Fermentation Festival
August 27, 2016
Santa Rosa, California
The nation’s biggest ferm fest hosted over 60 purveyors this past summer. Classes and tastings included the usual pickle and unusual fermented root beer float.
New Mexico Fermentation Festival
June 25, 2016
Albuquerque, New Mexico
The first New Mexico Fermentation Festival was brought together by Edible Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Taos and the Hubbell House Alliance. Museum tours and kids’ activities were on the schedule as well as workshops and tastings.
