ROCHESTER, Minn. — This year’s FEAST! Local Foods Marketplace marks a decade of bringing the best in local food to Rochester. A gourmet tasting experience unlike any other, the nonprofit festival showcases everything from cheese to chocolate, all under one roof, Saturday, Nov. 4, 10am-4pm at the Mayo Civic Center, Rochester, Minn.
Every fall, thousands of eaters and food and beverage makers from across the Upper Midwest flock to Rochester to eat, drink and be merry at FEAST!. Aisle after aisle of the event flows with fare made exclusively in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. Samples of every product offered by the 100 makers gives foodies a chance to try the latest and greatest before they buy. Music, lively kids’ activities, prize drawings, craft alcohol tasting, and cooking demos round out the festivities.
“The vibe at FEAST! is so fun. I always love the feeling I get from discovering a new, locally made ingredient or food product,” says Shari Mukherjee, top-five finalist on MasterChef, Season 10 and one of five culinary artists featured at demos throughout the day.
New this year are carnival games—have your local food purchases weighed for a chance to win a prize—and an expanded kids’ activity area with storytime, games, and a take-home gift (for the first 100 kids). There is also a grand prize giveaway from Vikre Distillery.
As fun as the one-day celebration is, there’s more to it than just great food and good times. Two Minnesota nonprofits—Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation and Renewing the Countryside—founded it 10 years ago to strengthen the economic and social ties that occur when eaters support local farmers and food producers.
“These entrepreneurs are passionate, dedicated and extremely hard working,” says FEAST! Marketplace coordinator, Elena Byrne of Renewing the Countryside. “I’m frequently in awe of the sheer star power gathered on that day, from our loyal returning vendors to the ones we’re just getting to know. We’re here to help them grow and thrive, increasing their connections to each other and to consumers.”
Over 10 years, FEAST! has connected the public to 377 different food businesses from across the Upper Midwest, and those connections have rippled out to the businesses and communities with whom those makers work.
“When you buy at FEAST!, you not only support one local business, you sustain every business, every family, that maker works with,” says Deeann Lufkin, co-owner of CannonBelles Cheese in Cannon Falls, Minn. CannonBelles has been a FEAST! Exhibitor since 2016 and won the festival’s People’s Choice award in 2019. “We source all our ingredients (except bacon bits) from within 25 miles of Cannon Falls. So when you buy our cheese, you’re actually helping an entire community because all the local companies and farms we work with also support others in dozens of ways, from providing jobs to sponsoring baseball teams.”
Looking for a delicious way to support local farmers and food producers while having a great time? Then check out FEAST!, Saturday, November 4 at the Mayo Civic Center.
Discount tickets are available at local-feast.org/buytickets: general admission $8 ($10 at the door), with VIP admission for craft alcohol sampling at $25 ($30 at the door). Kids under 12 are free. Get tickets at local-feast.org.
Preview this year’s vendors at local-feast.org/directory. Regional food makers can register to sell at the festival through Oct. 21 at local-feast.org/registration2023.
For more details on local foods in the Upper Midwest, look for LOCAL FEAST! magazine, Volume 6, available on newsstands now.
FEAST! Local Foods Marketplace is a nonprofit event presented by Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, Renewing the Countryside, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, and Compeer Financial. Visit www.local-feast.org and follow @localfeastnetwork on Facebook, @Local_Feast on Twitter, and @localfeast on Instagram.
–Renewing the Countryside
