Date
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Event
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Friday,
December 4
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BookPeople hosts a Multi-Media Sustainable Food night, previewing Eat Local Week, with special guests from the food film and book worlds, including Ana Sofia Joanes, director / producer of FRESH; Pamela Walker, author of Growing Good Things to Eat in Texas; Chef Alain Braux, author of How to Lower Your Cholesterol with French Gourmet Food and more! Local farm-sourced food tasting from Thai Fresh, gluten-free baked goodies by FoodSmarty and local beer from St. Arnolds Brewing Co. 6–8 pm.
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Saturday,
December 5
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Kick-off event at the downtown Austin Farmers' Market with proclamation by the Mayor of the City of Austin, a 24-carrot salute and other special activities. 10 am. Free.
Urban Farm Bicycle Tour
Discover some of Austin's local food-producing gems on a family-friendly bicycle tour, including optional stops at Boggy Creek Farm, Zhi Tea, Rain Lily Farm, Hands of the Earth Farm, school and community gardens and more—featuring farm tours, sampling local food products and a chance to win fabulous prizes, including a fully- outfitted cruiser bicycle. Tour departs from Bicycle Sport Shop (South Lamar location), Austin Farmers' Market (downtown) and Sunset Valley Farmers' Market. Presented by Bicycle Sport Shop with additional sponsorship from Whole Foods Market, Maine Root, Yellow Bike Project, Sustainable Food Center and others. Author Pamela Walker will be signing copies of her book, Growing Good Things to Eat in Texas at Boggy Creek Farm during the Tour. Tickets on sale now!
Edible Austin Tea Festival
The Edible Austin Tea Festival is a gathering of the Austin area’s fine tea purveyors and tea rooms who will sample and demonstrate all that is mysterious and wonderful about tea. Chef Jesse Bloom of Ecstatic Cuisine will offer tea-paired food plates for $10/ plate. Also featuring tea talks, demonstrations, traditional tea ceremonies and tea products for sale. Tea participants include Barefoot Botanicals, Buddah’s Brew, Jade Leaves, Sesa Tea, Steeping Room, Sweet Leaf Tea, Tea Embassy, Texas Medicinals and Zhi Tea. The Tea Festival is also a stop on the Urban Farm Bicycle Tour. Free. 10 am to 2 pm at the Zhi Tea Gallery, 4607 Bolm Rd.
Paramount Theatre presents a special screening of FRESH, the provocative and inspiring food film. Joel Salatin, writer, local food spokesperson and owner of Polyface Farms will join FRESH director and producer Ana Sofia Joanes as our special guests for an audience Q&A after the film. Ticket prices are $15, $25 and $100. The $100 tickets are limited and are the best seats in the house and will include admission to the pre-screening reception for Joanes, Salatin and other featured guests to be held at the State Theatre lobby at 6:30 pm—featuring Austin's top chefs preparing locally sourced food tastings and local beverages, beer, wines and cocktails. Participating restaurants are: Asti / FINO, Wink / Zoot, Primizie Osteria, Kerbey Lane Café, The Leaning Pear, Cipollina, Blue Dahlia. Participating beverage artisans will be: Zhi Tea, Tipsy Texans, Tito's Handmade Vodka, Paula's Texas Spirits, Dry Soda, Texas Hill Country Wineries. The reception will be held at the State Theatre lobby (next door to the Paramount Theatre) at 6:30 pm. There will also be opportunities to meet and connect to many of Austin's local food nonprofit and support groups at the event as well, beginning at 7 pm inside the Paramount Theatre. Additional sponsorship provided by Habitat Suites. Tickets are on sale now at austintheatre.org/fresh.
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Sunday,
December 6
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Drink Local Coffee Festival, hosted at Owl Tree Roasting. Whether your love for coffee is professional or recreational, this event will offer a taste of Austin's burgeoning coffee culture. Sample coffees from Austin's favorite coffee roasters including: Owl Tree Roasting, Texas Coffee Traders, Little City, Third Coast, Cuvee, Austin Java, Kohana Coffee and Fara Cafe. Each roaster will also coffee beans available for sale. There will also be a barista "jam", a showdown of talent between some of the best baristas in Central Texas. (BBQ lovers will also have the opportunity to preview the brand new Franklin BBQ, located behind Owl Tree Roasting). $5 suggested donation at the door. 11 am–2 pm.
Drink Local Night
 Hosted at Palm Door with hors d'oeuvres by Pink Avocado Catering. A celebration of locally made spirits featuring the 2nd Annual Drink Local Cocktail Contest produced by Tipsy Texans David Alan and Joe Eifler, searching for the best seasonal cocktail from the region's finest mixologists. Meet your local distillers—including Paula's Texas Spirits, Tito's Handmade Vodka, Savvy Vodka, Dripping Springs Vodka, Treaty Oak Rum, Railean Rum, Tennyson Absinthe, Balcones Distillery, Garrison Brothers— and sample their favorite holiday season cocktails. 6–9 pm.
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Monday,
December 7
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Alamo BeneFeast will feature the hit movie Julie & Julia, and Alamo chefs John Bullington and Trish Eichelberger will prepare an exquisite dinner inspired by food featured in the film. Get your tickets now! 7 pm.
Happy Hour with The Cupcake Bar at Finn and Porter
Visit Finn and Porter (Hilton) for a local happy hour from 5-7pm. Enjoy appetizers from Finn and Porter and Custom Cupcakes from The Cupcake Bar. Click here for more info and tickets!
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Tuesday,
December 8
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Austin Museum of Art presents a Gulf Coast Sampler, 6:30–8 pm.
Enjoy a sampling of cuisine and ideas about regional food. Southern food historian Elizabeth Engelhardt, Arthouse Director Sue Graze, chef Jesse Griffiths, and fisherman Roberto San Miguel discuss culinary traditions, sustainability, David Bates’s art, and fish tales. Tickets $15 ($10 museum members) and includes exhibition viewing. Limited seating. For more information and to buy tickets, go to: amoa.org/gulfcoastsampler.
Whole Foods Market hosts Local Growers First Frost, 5:00–10 pm.
Skate for a 50 minute ice skating session and skate rentals for only $10, with all proceeds benefitting Urban Roots. With support from GO TEXAN—featuring live entertainment and refreshments on the Plaza with local food, wine and beverage vendors offering tastings of their wares in the store during the event.
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Wednesday,
December 9
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Better Bites of Austin hosts an Edible Local Holiday Gift Fair at City Hall. Meet your local foodmakers and buy local products for making your own custom holiday gift baskets with locally made treats from the best of Austin’s local food artisans. Or bid on artisan-select, pre-made baskets. Local Artisans include: Arte Y Chocolate, Austin Healthy Cooking, Barefoot Botanicals, Bonadea Breads, Dr. Kracker, Jakes Natural Fine Foods, Mary Louise Brownies, Messy Chocolates, NadaMoo!, Nazareth Olive Oil, Pie Fixes Everything, Rio's Brazilian, SASS—Season All Stuff Sauce, Sesa Tea, Sticky Toffee Pudding, World Wise Grains and Zhi Tea. Live music and sampling! 4–8 pm.
Fino's Chef's Table with Balcones Distillery
Founder & Distiller Chip Tate, from Balcones Distillery in Waco, TX, brings his Baby Blue & Balcones Rumble to the table. Enjoy Bar Manager Bill Norris' Cocktails, Cask Samples & more. This dinner is part of Edible Austin's Eat Local Week & 15% of the proceeds will be donated to Urban Roots. Click here for more info.
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Thursday,
December 10
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Fine Food Art Gallery Night. Wally Workman Gallery hosts a curated show featuring well-known Texas artists offering works of art with a FEASTING theme. Chef-prepared local foods and cocktails by Tipsy Texans, Paula’s Texas Spirits and Les Dames d' Escoffier (Austin). A portion of all art sales will benefit Urban Roots. 6–8 pm.
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Friday,
December 11
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Meet Your Local Brewers Happy Hour presented by Whip In Parlour Cafe & Market. Enjoy the fabulous tastes from our local breweries and meet their makers: Live Oak Brewing Company, (512)Brewing Company, Independence Brewing Co., Real Ale Brewing Company, Saint Arnold Brewing Company and Shiner Beers. $20 event ticket gets you a pint glass to taste up to six beers! Also featuring emcee Jim Hightower and live entertainment in the Whip In Beer Garden with James McMurtry, Steve James and Nathan Hamilton where you can enjoy a la cart gourmet foods from the Whip In Parlour Cafe & Market and others vendors including: MMMPanadas, the Best Wurst, Sushi-a-Go-go, The Texas Cuban, Flip Happy Crepes, The Mediterranean Chef, Vital Farms, Buddha's Brew, WaterOak Farms, Austinuts and Austin Slow Burn. 4–8 pm.
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Saturday,
December 12
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Finale event! Media Celebrity Local Food Cook-off. Come to the downtown Austin Farmers' Market to witness Kate Weidaw (KXAN) and Bryan Beck (KGSR) duke it out preparing a dish using all local ingredients from the market. 10 am–noon. Our celebrity chefs will be assisted by students from the Culinary Academy of Austin. Judges will include other media personalities, farmers from the market and Urban Roots youth.
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