North Saanich Flavour Trails Festival and Celebration Weekend returns Aug. 18 to 20 to celebrate the quality and creativity of local food and beverage producers.
Eighteen venues – featuring farmers, cider makers, fishers and chefs – participated in Flavour Trails 2022. This year, the festival will take place in 18 venues again, including new vendors Hidden Track Farm and Victoria Distillers.
Returning long-time venues include Centre for Plant Health, Dominion Brook Park and Pasture Perfect Lamb and Country Wool.
“When you’re putting together a Flavour Trails, you’re really trying to showcase the range of products, farms, produce and all locally made food and drink,” said Krista Larsen, program and events coordinator at Capital Region Food and Agriculture Initiatives (CRFAIR).
“From lavender goods to award-winning cider, in-season greens and Thai food tastings, Flavour Trails is a path to learning about local foods and how, as a community, we can strengthen and celebrate all our region has to offer.”
Presented by CRFAIR, the District of North Saanich, and Destination Greater Victoria, Flavour Trails is a self-guided exploration that encourages residents and visitors to stop along designated spots to sample local food and drink offerings following a downloadable map.
There will also be Community Celebration: Night and Day Markets, hosted again this year by Sandown Centre for Regenerative Agriculture. With 83 acres and a mandate that supports emerging growers, researchers, community members and regional farmers, it makes for a fitting location. Visitors can launch their weekend Flavour Trails experience at Sandown to enjoy the market, plus interactive and educational activities like the zucchini races. Partner participants will offer interactive demos and independent food makers will be serving up tasty eats.
The festival also promotes greater food literacy via a season-long promotional period supporting North Saanich’s farms and food producers.
“Flavour Trails delivers experiences that are engaging and fun for all, giving people an opportunity to get out in the fresh farm air and explore,” Larsen said. “But especially the learning is a legacy that Flavour Trials gives. And that learning and connection to local food sources creates a direct economy for farmers, for growers, for makers.”
When asked what people love most about Flavour Trails, Larsen said it’s the experiences they undertake, ranging from sheepshearing to tasting fresh zucchini right out of the ground, “from soil to mouth.”
The festival has also renewed its partnership with Capital Bike, which started last year. Capital Bike will produce bike routes around the map that will be available on the Flavour Trails website.
Other activities include local vendors, farm games, a day and night market, and live music, including a performance by blues rock duo Rhymer and Wells.
The festival’s self-guided tours run from Aug. 18 to 20. The District of North Saanich’s Community Celebration at Sandown Centre with music, food trucks and farm demos takes place Saturday, Aug. 19 from 4 to 8 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 20 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For a list of Flavour Trails participants, offers, and how to build a zucchini race car, check out flavourtrails.com.
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