Tea Fest PDX 2026

Tea Fest PDX 2026 was held on June 27th at the World Forestry Center in Portland, Oregon. 

This was the festival's 10th anniversary and the second year since it's move to late June from mid-July. The weather was very on-brand for the Pacific Northwest with a relatively sunny start to the day, shifting to rain and even a brief thunderstorm in the afternoon.  Most of the outdoor spaces were covered so the festival was able to carry on without interruption.

Something I really appreciate that seems to be unique to outdoor/indoor festivals like Tea Fest PDX are the musical performances. This year's musical lineup was wonderful!

Heart Strings Mandarin Music Trio

Kayageum performed by Doyeon Lim

The festival program was filled with a wide variety of workshops, lectures, and tasting sessions, two of which I had the pleasure of attending.

Unusual and Rare Teas from Our Tea Explorations with Charles, Laurie, and Anais Dawson (Whatcom Tea)

It's always a treat to sit in on a tasting session with the Dawsons because I'm almost guaranteed to encounter something completely new.  For this session we enjoyed several unique teas from their extensive collection, learning about their provenance and how they were made.  The final tea was a bit of a wildcard; a teabag tea that tastes refreshingly like a loose leaf tea.

Left to Right: Anais Dawson, Laurie Dawson, Charles Dawson

Wuyi Hongcha from Tongmuan, Fujian Province (Chaliland)

Rosa roxburghii (Chestnut Rose) Stuffed Black Tea from Guixhou Province (iTeaworld)

2002 Huangpian Baozhong (wild harvest)

1990 Liu Bao (Three Cranes)

1980 Liu An from Anhui Province

Crown Melon flavored Oolong

Tea in Literature and Afternoon Tea with Marilyn Miller

We enjoyed a lovely afternoon tea prepared by Thistlewell Tea Room (formerly Sweet Peas Tea Room) accompanied by a reading of excerpts from the works of Earlene Grey, Nigel Slater, Patti Callahan, Rosamunde Pilcher, Lisa See, Julia Kelly, and Ethel Romig Fuller by Marilyn Miller.

Thanks to the volunteers, presenters, and vendors for making this festival possible!  I'm looking forward to Tea Fest PDX 2027!