9th Annual FEAST! Local Food Festival in Rochester, MN
FEAST! Local Foods Festival is back, better than ever
Rochester, MN – The 9th Annual FEAST! Local Food Marketplace makes it easy to prepare for the holidays. From baking essentials to gourmet gift boxes, you’ll find it all Saturday, Nov. 5, 10am-4pm at the Mayo Civic Center, Rochester, Minn.
“There are so many unique regional products at FEAST! you can’t get just anywhere. I love being able to stock my pantry with new things while seeing the passion these food businesses have for local, sustainably-grown ingredients,” says Beth Dooley, James Beard Award-winning cookbook author.
Meet Dooley and a host of other celebrity chefs—including Mateo Mackbee (Krewe, St. Joseph, Minn, premiering on Food Network’s Chopped, Oct 18) and Shari Mukherjee (top-five finalist, season 10, MasterChef)—at cooking demos throughout the day.
“The vibe at FEAST! is so fun. I always love the feeling I get from discovering a new, locally made ingredient or food product. It just makes me so happy!” says Mukherjee.
The one-day festival features dozens of food growers and makers from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa, giving attendees the chance to try before they buy while discovering the abundance of our region’s best local foods. Plus, most FEAST! vendors utilize locally-grown ingredients such as fruit, veggies, honey, meat, cheeses and herbs. Others carry certifications such as gluten-free, organic and grass fed, while many are farmers themselves, and all are eager to discuss how their food is grown and made. 
New this year are locally-crafted spirits from makers you know and love (or will soon discover) like Vikre and Tattersall. They join award-winning wines, ciders and even Craft Malt Certified beer—made with regionally-grown grapes, apples, hops and grains—available in the craft alcohol fest within the Marketplace. Learn more by picking up Local FEAST! magazine, on newsstands now.
Advance tickets are available at discount rates: general admission $5 ($10 at the door), with VIP admission for alcohol sampling at $20 ($25 at the door). Kids under 12 are free. Get tickets at local-feast.org.
Regional food makers can register through Oct. 22 at local-feast.org/
FEAST! Local Foods Marketplace is co-hosted by non-profit organizations, Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation and Renewing the Countryside, and sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. For more info, including COVID-related updates, visit www.local-feast.org and follow us on social media: @localfeastnetwork on Facebook, @Local_Feast on Twitter, localfeast on Instagram, and #localFEAST.