Friday Tea Tasting & Creative Crafting

  This class explores the pairing of tea with fruit for balance, contrast, and flavor development. Through a guided tasting, participants will examine how fresh, baked, and dried fruits interact with a range of teas, including green, oolong, white, and black teas.  Whether steeped in tea or enjoyed with a cup of tea, fruit is a natural companion to our favorite beverage. This pairing session will be hosted by Karen Donnelly, owner of Greenhalgh Tea and Certified Tea Sommelier from the Tea & Herbal Association of Canada. 

Travel along and discover the Tea Counter at the famous Fortnum and Mason, Piccadilly, in London known for its extraordinary food, exceptional service, and joy giving things. This tea tasting session features six unique teas from their world famous tea counter. To complement the tea, savor a few treats from their food hall, including English biscuits (crispy cookies) from their superbly scrumptious biscuit collection, oatcakes and Pates de Fruits. As you sip and savor some truly British tea and sweets, we will share the history of the store (established in 1707), their dual Royal Warrants and some Fortnum and Mason tea trivia. We are pleased to welcome returning guest lecturer Teresa Weddelman, Certified Tea Sommelier from the World Tea Academy and Completed Tea Foundation Online, UK Tea Academy to the tea festival again this year. 

 Step into a fragrant world of secrets and suspense in this interactive tea experience inspired by the charm of The Garden Tearoom. In Lavender & Lies: A Garden Tea Mystery, guests will sip delicate lavender teas while working together to solve a lighthearted whodunit. Hidden clues, curious characters, and a touch of garden intrigue await as you uncover what really happened among the teacups and blooms. This playful mystery blends storytelling, teamwork, and tea for a truly unforgettable experience. Marnie and Neil D'Amato, mystery aficionados and tea tasting guides from The Garden Tearoom in Conyngham, PA will accompany you during this clever and unique tea tasting session.

This tea tasting session will take a deep dive into the world of Lapsang Souchong, known for its distinctive smoky flavor. Discover the origin and outlook for this full bodied smoky tea and how it achieves its unique flavor profile. This tasting session will feature original Lapsang Souchong from the Tongmu village. This remote village located in the Wuyi Mountains of Fujian China has been a protected UNESCO site since 1979, due to rare butterflies, the golden Kaiser-i-hind. In addition to discovering the processing techniques, and tasting true Lapsang Souchong, we will compare it to some imposters. This tea tasting journey will be guided by Teresa Weddelman, Certified Tea Sommelier from the World Tea Academy and Completed Tea Foundation Online, UK Tea Academy. 

 Decorate a charming teacup collage. The 8" x 10" design features pre-drawn stacking teacups on a tea-stained mat board base. Working with assorted colorful pieces of paper, participants will adorn the teacups to create a fanciful craft that is user friendly for all art levels from beginners to advanced and everyone in between. Fine art artist and talented author Sarah Ickes will guide you during this creative crafting session. Class will be held in the Author's Tent area of the festival with all supplies included. (Image shown is not the actual design.)

 Travel around the world with tea and honey during this sweet tea tasting session where the focus will be on pairing honey varietals from around the world coupled with tea from various parts of the world. Sample a variety of honey including French Lavender Honey, Italian Orange Blossom Honey, Scottish Heather Honey and Greek Thyme Honey from the Taygetos Mountains. This unique collection of honey will be paired with a range of tea varieties across the globe. This honey and tea tasting session will be guided by energetic and creative Lori Stahl of Bee Bee's Honey. You will be charmed with Lori's energy and enthusiasm for honey during this entertaining tasting session.

This beginner friendly workshop will introduce you to the art of Kinusaiga, a beautiful Japanese no-sew patchwork technique that transforms fabric into stunning textured designs. You will learn the basics of this beautiful artwork. Using assorted fabrics and a design board, you will create an 8" x 8" piece with a tea cup design. Under the guided instruction of Demetra Luciano of Horizons Creative Studio, you'll trace the design on a board and then gently tuck fabric into grooves to build a vibrant, quilt-like image. No sewing required! All supplies are included from the design board, to fabrics, tools, and step-by-step instructions. Just bring yourself and enjoy this relaxing, mindful creative experience. This session is limited to 8 attendees and will be held offsite at The Bewitching Moon, 102 S. Market Street, within easy walking distance from the festival. The two hour class is $45.00 and includes all supplies.