Press Releases

Archive of all press releases related to the Eat Real Festival.

 

FINAL RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT

Haven Bourque

415.505-3473

haven@havenbmedia.com

 

 

EAT IT. MAKE IT. GROW IT. OAKLAND’S EAT REAL FESTIVAL UNLEASHES BUTCHERS, PICKLE MAKERS AND BUTTER SHAKERS

 

Three non-stop days of food performances, pickling and butchery contests, hands-on workshops, music and food films

 

 

OAKLAND, CA (AUGUST 25, 2010) – Oakland’s Eat Real Festival at Jack London Square is just two days away. Free to the public, this urban food extravaganza is unlike any other food festival in the world—bringing cutting edge food entertainment to a wide swath of the public on three stages for three straight days. From August 27 through 29, attendees will be treated to non-stop food skills and DIY demos, a “flying knives” butchery contest, beer making, an eclectic array of local musicians, an evening of short and delectable food films, in addition to a huge selection of delicious street eats from over 80 vendors--all priced at $5 or less.

 

“Eat Real’s three day celebration of great food goes far beyond eating and drinking,” said Anya Fernald, founder of the Eat Real Festival. “We want people to get up close and personal with their food – from making butter or sauerkraut, or milking goats and raising backyard chickens, to seeing the artistry involved in butchering a steer or pig. This year we salute all aspects of our food system, and we’ll activate tens of thousands of people in demanding good food, all the time.”

 

The three stages will showcase local bands, food performances and cooking and homesteading skills demonstrations. For those who want to get their hands dirty, the DIY foods area lets enthusiastic home cooks learn by doing alongside the experts.

 

On the Lawn Stage attendees will dance to afro-beat, salsa, punk-folk and blues. On Saturday evening, musicians turn over the Lawn Stage to the rock stars of the food world in for the Flying Knives Butchery Contest. The contest pits reigning champions, the Yedra brothers of Marin Sun Farm, against two other teams of trained butchers as they race to break down a whole hanging quarter steer. On Sunday, two new teams of butchers hit the stage for the first ever Eat Real pig butchery contest.

 

“Being a butcher in other countries is a respected tradition and art form, but here in the U.S. we are seen as eccentrics,” said Dave the Butcher, Manager at Marina Meats. “This is about breaking down people's images of what they think meat should look like. And if you eat meat, you need to know where it comes from. The Eat Real Festival offers a venue to educate, showcase skills and bring people into their local butcher shops in a very non-scary way.”

 

Prefer vegetables? A kraut-a-thon transforms the humble cabbage, pickles will be created and eaten, and grow-your-own mushroom experts are ready to demonstrate how to grow your own tasty fungi.

 

There are plenty of other not-to-miss events including the first-ever Food Lit Festival on the second floor of the Jack London Market Building, in which writers and food pundits will share their personal stories of food odysseys and adventures. The Jack London Square Farmers Market will run both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday night brings a film screening of short films and clips about food, some humorous, some local, and all good. Full schedule below.

 

 

LAWN STAGE PROGRAM

Friday, August 27

2pm – DJ Pedrogas

5pm – Pizza Tossing with Matthew Driscol

6pm & 8pm – Music by Sun Hop Fat

 

Saturday, August 28

10am – DJ Citizen Zain

11am – The Great Butter Shakedown

12pm – Music by Beatbeat Whisper

2pm – Bhangra Dancing with Dholrhythms

3pm – Dj eKg

3:30pm – The Sprouts Kid’s Cook-off

5pm – Music by Misisipi Rider

7pm – 2nd Annual Flying Knives Steer Butchery Contest

8:30pm – Food Film Feast by CHOW

 

Sunday, August 29

10am – DJ Uni + DJ GStar

11am – Chinese Noodle Pulling with Chef Gordon of Ark Restaurant

1pm – Carne Cruda

2pm – DJ Odiaka

3pm – Flying Knives Pig Butchery Contest

FOOD SKILLS STAGE PROGRAM

Friday, August 27

2pm – DJ Vinnie Esparza

5pm – Home Winemaking Made Simple with Fred Buonano of Philo Ridge

6pm – Five Sweet Apps for your Favorite Summer Berry with Shakirah Simley of Slow Jams

7pm – Edible Organic Gardening for Urban Dwellers with Star Apple Edible and Fine Gardens

 

Saturday, August 28

11am – Homemade Kombucha with Dara Marin of Sage Table

12pm – Japanese Whetstone Sharpening with Josh Donald of Bernal Cutlery

1pm – Ricotta Made Easy with Jordan Grosser

2pm – Goat Butchering Demo with Dave the Butcher and Avedano’s

3pm – Home Roasted Coffee with James Freeman of Blue Bottle

4pm – The Art+Science of Home Brewing with Regan Long and Sarah Fenson of Local Brewing Co.

5pm - Backyard Chickens 101 + Eggy Cooking with Heidi Kooy

6pm - Live Goat Milking + Ice Cream Demo with

7pm - Italian Sauces with Rudy of C'era Una Volta

8pm - Conquering the Crepe with Chef Robert Dorsey III of the Blue Oak Cafe

 

Sunday, August 29

11am - Sow Your Seeds with Antonio Roman-Alcala

12pm - Urban Homestead Contests Awards Ceremony

12:30pm - What is Permaculture? With David Cody of Permaculture SF

1pm - Kickin' Kimchi with Delilah Snell, of the Project Small Blog

2pm - Cheese-making in 3 Easy Steps with Mateo Rutherford of Green Faerie Farm

3pm - Ultra-Small-Batch Raspberry Jam Dafna Kory of INNA Jam

4pm - Makin' Bacon with Chris Arentz of Avedano's Holly Park Market

DIY FOODS PROGRAM

Saturday, August 28

10am-5pm – The Bee Hive with the San Francisco Beekeeper’s Association

11am - Make Your Own Sourdough Starter with Danny of Sour Flour

12pm - Fish Farming and Hiramasa with Whole Foods Market

1pm - Tamale Making with La Borinquena

2pm - Happy Girl Kitchen Co.’s Kraut-a-thon

3pm - Grow Your Own Mushrooms with Far West Fungi

4pm - Make Your Own Mead with Robert MacKimmie of City Bees

5pm - Garden-starter Pots for Kids with Veggielution Community Farm

 

Sunday, August 29

10am-5pm – The Bee Hive with the Alameda Beekeeper’s Association

11am – Garden Starter Pots for Kids with Maria Finn of City Dirt

12pm – Homemade Sausage Making with John Stewart of Black Pig

1pm – Air Chilled Chicken with Whole Foods Market

2pm – Kickin’ Kombucha with Jessica Prentice of Three Stone Hearth

3pm – Homemade Bitters with Greg Lindgren of Rye S.F.

4pm - Happy Girl Kitchen Co.’s Kraut-a-thon

STREET STAGE PROGRAM

Saturday, August 28

10:30am - Avelina Brown Nunez

1:15pm - Sadza Marimba

4:00pm - Deborah Crooks Band

6:45pm - Richard March & Tyler Ragle

Sunday, August 29

10:30am - Rondalla del Sagrado Corazon

12:45pm - Oakland Museum presents...

3:00pm - Blues and Groove

For complete information about the Eat Real Festival and the different programming, please visit www.eatrealfest.com/schedulegettingtoeatreal

 

About Eat Real Festival

Eat Real is a social venture business founded by a group of people who believe that delicious, convenient, affordable and sustainable food should be celebrated. Our main product - the Eat Real Festival - supports a strong social change agenda and is a values-driven event focused on educating people about the food they eat. Eat Real focuses on delicious and sustainable “street food” and puts eaters in contact with the real people - the farmers, chefs and producers - who make our food. In addition, we donate a small percentage of our profit to targeted California organizations promoting access to healthy and affordable food, entrepreneurship and economic development. www.eatrealfest.com

 

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FINAL RELEASE

 

 

EAT REAL KICKS OFF THREE DAY FOOD CELEBRATION WITH FUNDRAISING SUMMER FEAST

 

 Camino Restaurant hosts August 26th benefit for non-profits committed to food accessibility and economic development

 

OAKLAND, CA (AUGUST 16, 2010) – Oakland’s Eat Real Festival is on a mission to make American food better. Its revolutionary approach includes a massive street party and celebration of good food on August 27-29 in Jack London Square. Today event organizers kicked off the pre-party festivities, announcing a summer feast fundraising dinner August 26th for its community partners at Camino Restaurant, one of the city’s standouts in seasonal, sustainable cuisine. 100% of the proceeds from the family style meal will benefit Eat Real’s non-profit partners.

 

“Eat Real’s vision is of an America where real food that’s good for our bodies, communities, and planet is available everywhere,” said event founder Anya Fernald. “We are very pleased to support three organizations that are working to build a better food system here in Oakland and beyond.”

 

Eat Real has partnered with La Cocina, a San Francisco based incubator kitchen that supports new food business entrepreneurs; CAFF, a state-wide organization working to support family-scale agriculture that cares for the land and sustains local economies; and, the People’s Grocery, a community-based organization in West Oakland that develops creative solutions to the health problems that stem from a lack of access to and knowledge about healthy, fresh foods.

 

“People's Grocery is proud to be selected as a community partner by the Eat Real Festival and our friends at Camino Restaurant,” said Nikki Henderson, Executive Director of People’s Grocery. “Opportunities to celebrate both food and community are vital to the food movement. They remind us that food can bring us together in the spirit of celebration and that all people deserve access to fresh and healthy food."

 

The $85 dinner highlights the fresh and seasonal foods from the Bay Area, and will feature a menu of grass-fed beef, an array of summer vegetables and bio-dynamic wine from Mendocino County.

 

“Oakland is an emerging food city with sophisticated diners, passionate food entrepreneurs and a skilled base of local farmers. Yet, food insecurity is a significant community problem. Camino is proud to support organizations addressing food insecurity and food justice in partnership with Eat Real,” said Russ Moore, chef and owner of Camino Restaurant.

 

Tickets for the dinner can be purchased at www.eat-real-at-camino.eventbrite.com or directly through Camino at (510) 547-5035. The Eat Real Festival runs August 27, 28 and 29 in Jack London Square.

 

About Eat Real

Eat Real is a social venture business founded by a group of people who believe that delicious, convenient, affordable and sustainable food should be celebrated. Our main product - the Eat Real Festival - supports a strong social change agenda and is a values-driven event focused on educating people about the food they eat. Eat Real focuses on delicious and sustainable “street food” and puts eaters in contact with the real people - the farmers, chefs and producers - who make our food. In addition, we donate a small percentage of our profit to targeted California organizations promoting access to healthy and affordable food, entrepreneurship and economic development.

 

MEDIA CONTACT
Haven Bourque
415-505-3473
haven@havenbmedia.com

 

FINAL RELEASE

CALLING ALL BREWERS, JAMMERS AND FERMENTERS

 

EAT REAL FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES CONTESTS AT AUGUST OAKLAND STREET FOOD FESTIVAL

 

SAN FRANCISCO (OAKLAND) (JULY 12, 2010) – The Eat Real Festival, the country’s first celebration of street food and craft foods featuring locally produced products, announces a series of contests for the tastiest homebrew, best homemade jam, finest fermented food and most kickin’ kombucha. Urban food enthusiasts are encouraged to participate as part of the festival to be held August 27- 29 in Oakland’s Jack London Square.

 

“Canning and fermenting food and drink is one of the best ways we can celebrate the bounty of our local food shed and a backbone of the art of food craft. By saving and preserving food at its freshest, we can continue to savor these flavors long after the season ends,” said Eat Real Director, Susan Coss. “The contests at this year's Eat Real Festival will honor the Bay Area’s top home canners, jammers and brewers and reward the creativity and talent behind their labors.”

 

Eat Real contest categories include:

  • Something's a-Brewin home brewed beer. Beer categories include: Session Beers, Hoppy Beers, Farmhouse Beers, Strong Beers and Taco Beers (best beer paired with tacos).
  • Jamboree jam.
  • Puttin’ it Up fermented foods. Categories include: Cucumber pickles, Sauerkraut, Kimchi and Freestyle Pickles (contestants choose the vegetables.)
  • Kickin’ Kombucha home brewed kombucha.

 

Each contest is open to amateur producers only, and will be judged by panels of experts. All rules and regulations and additional details can be found at http://www.eatrealfest.com/urbanhomesteading.

 

For complete information about the Eat Real Festival, please visit http://www.eatrealfest.com.

 

About Eat Real

Eat Real is a social venture business founded in 2008 by a group of people who believe that delicious, convenient, affordable and sustainable food should be celebrated. Our main product - the Eat Real Festival - supports a strong social change agenda and is a values-driven event focused on educating people about the food they eat. Eat Real focuses on delicious and sustainable “street food” and puts eaters in contact with the real people - the farmers, chefs and producers - who make our food. In addition, we donate a small percentage of our profit to targeted California organizations promoting access to healthy and affordable food, entrepreneurship and economic development.

 

MEDIA CONTACT

Haven Bourque 415-505-3473

haven@havenbmedia.com


 

SECOND ANNUAL EAT REAL FESTIVAL RETURNS TO OAKLAND AUGUST 27-29

 

Three-day gathering at Jack London Square builds on 2009 success; more street food, more demonstrations and a new focus on food craft


SAN FRANCISCO (JUNE 9, 2010) – The Eat Real Festival, the country’s first celebration of street food and craft foods featuring sustainably produced products, will take place at Jack London Square in Oakland, August 27-29. By focusing on fresh and local ingredients - and their amazing flavors - Eat Real shows how easy it is to support a regional food system by bringing farmers, food producers and eaters together.

 

“Americans need and want better quality food at affordable prices, at Eat Real we celebrate food that’s healthy, sustainably-produced and delicious. That message found a big audience in 2009, when 70,000 people came out to Eat Real to celebrate real food with us,” said Anya Fernald, Eat Real Festival’s founder. “In 2010, we want to celebrate real food and the professionals who make it: the cheesemakers, butchers, tofu makers, coffee roasters and bakers, to name a few. We’d like to bring interest and attention to these ancient professions and encourage people to consider becoming food entrepreneur-artisans - whom we call food crafters.”

 

Highlights of this year’s Eat Real Festival include:

  • 80 of the Bay Area’s most delicious street food trucks and carts once again featuring select sustainable and local ingredients;
  • Fermentation tasting stations featuring handcrafted beer, wine, kombucha and assorted iced teas and lemonades;
  • Collaborations featuring Bay Area food craft producers;
  • Urban Homesteading Zone highlighting a do-it-yourself lifestyle including canning and preserving, cheesemaking, animal husbandry, vertical gardening and more;
  • An entertainment stage filled with music, pizza tossing, noodle pulling and the Flying Knives butchery contest;
  • Literary festival with Bay Area writers taking to the stage to tell stories of food, from things eaten off the street to a food poetry slam;
  • Outdoor short film festival;
  • Fundraising Dinner for community partners. Tickets to go on sale in July.
  • Eat Real’s community partners include La Cocina, the Community Alliance with Family Farmers and People’s Grocery.

 

For complete information about the Eat Real Festival, please visit www.eatrealfest.com.

 

Eat Real Festival is made possible by the generous support of presenting sponsors Whole Foods and Jack London Square and additional sponsorship support from CBS 5/CW, Chow.com, San Francisco Magazine, PG&E, East Bay Express, Honest Tea, Chipotle, Organic Valley, Joie de Vivre Hotels and Zipcar. Additionally, the event would not be possible without in-kind community support and volunteers.

 

About Eat Real


Eat Real is a social venture business founded in 2008 by a group of people who believe that delicious, convenient, affordable and sustainable food should be celebrated. Our main product - the Eat Real Festival - supports a strong social change agenda and is a values-driven event focused on educating people about the food they eat. Eat Real focuses on delicious and sustainable “street food” and puts eaters in contact with the real people - the farmers, chefs and producers - who make our food. In addition, we donate a small percentage of our profit to targeted California organizations promoting access to healthy and affordable food, entrepreneurship and economic development.

 

MEDIA CONTACT
Susan Coss
510-336-6042
susan@eatrealfest.com

 

 

For all press and media inquiries, please contact Susan Coss, Director of Eat Real: 510-250-7811susan@eatrealfest.com.