Nation In Preparation

To be held over August 29 to September 1 in San Francisco, the inaugural Slow Food Nation event will host a fantastic selection of workshops, films, dinners, hikes, journeys and a music festival – for an estimated crowd of around 50,000 – focusing on the connection between field and fork and supporting the development of good, clean and fair food across America.

Booking is essential as tickets for both free and paid activities are going quickly and many workshops have already sold out.

The following is a list of key events at Slow Food Nation 2008.

Taste – Slow Food Nation’s grand celebration of good, clean and fair food from across the United States – will be held at Fort Mason/Festival Pavilion (Tickets: $45 – $65). Visitors will be able to experience in-depth taste workshops and gain hands-on experience in identifying flavors and qualities, reconnecting with the origins and true values of our food. Featured foods in the Taste Pavilion include: Beer, Bread, Charcuterie, Cheese, Chocolate, Coffee, Fish, Honey & Preserves, Ice Cream, Native Foods, Olive Oil, Pickles & Chutney, Spirits, Tea and Wine.

The Food for Thought Speaker Series will focus on current food issues, from policy and planning and from education to climate change. Keynote speakers include Wendell Berry, Corby Kummer, Marion Nestle, Carlo Petrini, Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, Vandana Shiva and Alice Waters.

The free entry Market at the Civic Center Plaza will showcase 60 California farmers and artisans who grow and produce good, clean and fair food. Visitors will be able to purchase directly from the producer and learn the importance of regionality, diversity and artisan production in the Bay Area’s food system.

Next to the Market, Slow on the Go demonstrates how fast slow food can be. Street food will be prepared by many of San Francisco’s diverse ethnic communities, utilizing sustainable and source-verified ingredients.

In the middle of the 10,000-square-foot Victory Garden planted in front of City Hall, farmers and performers will take to a small stage, known as the Soap Box, to speak on food issues or perform traditional music and dances.

Over two nights, the Slow Food Rocks concert at Fort Mason’s Great Meadow will feature Gnarls Barkley, G Love & Special Sauce, the John Butler Trio, Medeski Martin & Wood, New Pornographers and Ozomatli.

Slow Food Nation is a subsidiary non-profit of Slow Food USA and part of the international Slow Food movement. It was created to organize the first-ever American collaborative gathering to unite the growing sustainable food movement and introduce thousands of people to food that is good, clean and fair through enjoyable, accessible and educational activities. Slow Food Nation is dedicated to creating a framework for deeper environmental connection to our food and aims to inspire and empower Americans to build a food system that is sustainable, healthy and delicious.

To view the full program and to book tickets, please visit the Slow Food Nation site.

Victoria Blackshaw
[email protected]