Toronto's Very First Tea Festival!

The inaugural Toronto Tea Festival took place last Saturday (February 2nd), at the Appel Salon of the Toronto Reference Library.  With a capacity of slightly more than 500, in excess of 1150 attended over the course of the day!  This doesn't even take into account the media that came to cover the event, the 8 awesome guest speakers, 32 vendors, 2 amazing tea ceremony masters, members of the organizing committee (including yours truly), and dozens and dozens of volunteers!

It was sold out by noon!  Die hard tea fans waited in line for the second round of tickets to be released later in the afternoon.

 Once inside an amazing winter cornucopia of tea awaited! 

Tim steeping tea for Tao Tea Leaf

Robert and Ian of Majesteas

Raelene of Tea and All Its Splendours

(Photo; Ingrid Folkers)

Lecturer, Kevin Gascoyne of Camellia Sinensis   

(Photo: Raymonde Drolet)

Mingzhu Gao, Co-founder of Tao Tea Leaf, performing Chinese Gongfu Tea Ceremony

 (Photo: Raymonde Drolet)

 

(Photo: Ingrid Folkers)

Tao Wu, Co-founder of Tao Tea Leaf.  Tao Tea Leaf is a co-organizer and sponsor of the Toronto Tea Festival.

(Photo: Raymonde Drolet)

Bill Kamula of the Tea Guild of Canada with guest.  The Tea Guild of Canada is co-organizer and sponsor of the Toronto Tea Festival.  Bill is also the Tea Sommelier Program instructor at George Brown College.

 

Sun Choi, Korean Tea Ceremony and Mingzhu Gao, Chinese Gongfu Tea Ceremony

Art works by Katherine Bellman    

Laura , Co-chair of the Tea Guild

Tea Guild's special blend

Upcoming Tea Guild event, "Tea and Tales"

The gents from Flo Trading

Karen Hartwick of Stratford Tea Leaves

 Daniel of T by Daniel

Me and Kimi of KIMICHA

(Photo: Raymonde Drolet)

(Photo: Raymonde Drolet)

Fellow Certified Tea Sommeliers came to sample some tea (guest, Judy, Michaelle and Donna)

Miss Quan playing the Guzheng

(Photo: Raymonde Drolet)

Sifu Justin Ngui of Ngui Family Style Qigong and Gongfu performing the powers of qigong.  Kids, don't do this at home or anywhere else, for that matter!  Leave this kind of kung fu to the pros!

Louise and Adi of Tea Association of Canada 

(Photo:Raymonde Drolet)

Joel of Capital Tea  

 One of the many tea demonstrations

Bare English & Co. (tea infused organic lip balms)

Korean tea samples and sweets

Tea and Handmade Jam Pairings by KIMICHA and michaelsdolce

It was a fantastic day for tea lovers old and young!  There were many babies and young kids in the crowd...the next generation of tea drinkers. 

I feel very honoured to have been a part of the organizing committee of this awesome first ever tea festival in Toronto!  I look forward to being a part of this great event again!  Next year will be even bigger and better!