A little over a month ago, the team at Feast Portland — the city’s most famous food festival — announced its impending return. Co-founder Mike Thelin teased potential events in the Willamette Valley and Portland proper in September, spanning three days. “Having an opportunity to bring people together and celebrate over one weekend, that’s exciting,” he said. However, it looks like Portlanders and tourists will have to wait a little longer: The Feast team has decided to postpone its live events this year.
A Tuesday post on Feast’s Instagram attributes the decision to cancel Feast’s 2022 live events to the state of the food and beverage industry, which remains tenuous as the pandemic continues. “With all the challenges the hospitality industry is still facing, we want to be mindful of what we can do as a community to be more helpful and impactful and return at a time when we’re all ready to celebrate again,” the post reads.
Almost 10 years ago, chefs like Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue and Nancy Silverton of Mozza arrived in Portland for the first Feast. The festival hosted classes and dinners, and its popular Sandwich Invitational event. It became a sensation, drawing chefs and attendees from around the world. In 2020, the festival was canceled for obvious reasons; in 2021, Feast was more like a summer’s worth of smaller-scale events, including chef interviews with Claima Stories podcast host Bimma Williams and dinners served alongside outdoor screenings of food movies. The return of Feast this year was meant to be a return to the original format.
It’s unclear whether Feast will return with virtual events this year, or when the festival will return in full force. Thelin and the Feast team have yet to respond to requests for comment.
Read the full announcement below:
