Vancouver Tea Festival takes place November 4 and 5.
Fun fact about tea: until the 19th century, nearly all of the world’s tea was grown in China and exported by Great Britain. Soon, due to strained trade relations with China, the British began to look elsewhere to cultivate the precious plant, including India and Africa.
Thirsty for more tea trivia? You’ll learn all you want to know at the Vancouver Tea Festival, taking place on Saturday, November 4 and Sunday, November 5. The elegant affair will be hosted at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden and the adjacent Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Vancouver.
Hosted by the Vancouver Tea Society, the zen-inducing event encourages tea enthusiasts to gather with like-minded tea lovers to explore the intricate history, culture and process behind one of the world’s favourite beverages. Attendees can browse a marketplace of vendors hailing from Canada, the U.S., China, Japan and beyond, each of whom will sample and sell teas to please every palate and budget; taste exquisite teas prepared by tea masters, and revel in the tranquility of the tea-making process; and attend hourly presentations, including seminars on how to organize tea trips to the Himalayas, steps to brew your own kombucha, Matcha 101 and more. Throughout the event, tea experts will roam the site answering any and all questions about tea. Guests are encouraged to soak in the serenity of the surrounding gardens while sipping their teas – after all, a key component of tea culture is taking a breath and savouring the silence while you sip your calming, antioxidant-packed brew.
Tickets to the Vancouver Tea Festival range from $5.95 (early bird special for Sunday admission only) to $31.95 (family ticket for Saturday only, admitting two adults and up to three children aged 13 years and younger); children five years old and under receive free admission. To purchase tickets, click here.
