Firming up summer plans? Then don’t forget Slow Food Nations, the single largest Slow Food event in the U.S., scheduled for July 19 – 21 in downtown Denver’s Larimer Square.

The theme of this year’s gathering is Where Tradition Meets Innovation. Highlights spread throughout the three days will include cooking demos, themed workshops, a one-day Leader Summit, celebratory dinners, a specialized Taste Marketplace of food vendors and an array of formal and informal culinary experiences. As in previous years’ gatherings, it’s your chance to interact with an estimated 25,000 farmers, food lovers and families.

Whether you’re new to Slow Food or an old hand at this grassroots movement, you’re certain to benefit greatly by attending.

Chef Kären Jurgensen, Slow Food Seattle Advisory Council / Seattle Culinary Academy Chef Instructor

“I went last year to broaden my culinary horizons,” says Kären Jurgensen, Chef Instructor at the Seattle Culinary Academy of Seattle Central College. “For me, this was about far more than professional development. It was an important opportunity to take part in a one-on-one cultural exchange.”

“I learned a ton, expanded my network of like-minded chefs and made many new friends,” Jurgensen says. “And, I returned home with a suitcase filled with food samples and cooking supplies from the marketplace.”

In contrast to the much-vaunted Terra Madre celebration, held every two years by Slow Food in Turin, Italy, the Slow Food Nations event is a much more effective way to connect with people of like minds and similar palates from neighboring communities. In other words… what’s not to like?

Although the deadline for early-bird pricing has passed, tickets-- $200 for Slow Food members and $300 for non-members-- are still available. The price includes a Thursday evening reception, registration to the Leader Summit that day, access to limited university housing and discounted hotel rooms with Kimpton hotels.

Visit the Slow Food Nation website (https://slowfoodnations.org) for more information and to sign yourself up for this exceptional experience.

Article contributed by David George Gordon
Cover photo by Slow Food Nations, Denver

Slow Food Nations 2019: Where Tradition Meets Innovation