The Dig In Horticulinary Festival is more than a week of devouring delicious food – although that’s definitely one of the best things about it.
The festival packed a program full of food tours, workshops, demonstrations and a gala dinner that challenged everyone to question what good food is and how we grow it.
At its heart the festival is about educating, informing and challenging us to think more deeply about food in a fun, creative format.
A co-production between the City of St. Albert’s Economic Development department and the Enjoy Centre, it attracted just about 2,000 people from May 1 to 6.
The extravaganza started with two sold-out culinary tours. On Tuesday a group of foodies strolled through the Shops at Boudreau sampling one course at each of four outlets. The following day a group of cyclists indulged in several epicurean delights while working up an appetite during the 5 km St. Albert Culinary Bike Tour.
Bryan Saunders, marketing manager for Holes Enjoy Centre, noted two of the most popular weekend presenters were CTV celebrity chef Mary Berg and Edmonton’s Alex Czajka, 13, a Food Network finalist for Canada’s Kids Baking Championship.
As Elizabethan Catering served the Saturday night gala dinner in the Glasshouse Bistro, Berg stood on a makeshift stage dishing out tips, stories and humour.
“We had about 110 to 120 people. It was very intimate and interactive. People came up and made their own amuse bouche (a sampler), a rhubarb and smelt trout latke,” said Saunders.
Earlier on Saturday afternoon, Berg hosted a demonstration giving tips on goat cheese panna cotta with rhubarb attended by about 300 people.
“Afterwards we had samples. We put them out and they were gone in minutes.”
Grade 8 student Alex Czajka attracted closer to 150 viewers, many of them children eager to see him whip up red velvet cupcakes using beets.
Throughout the 45-minute presentation he came across as charming and self-assured. He chatted with the audience, providing cupcake making tips, taking questions and sharing stories about the kids baking championship.
Black Diamond Distillery’s demo mixing garden-raised herbs with alcoholic beverages also attracted large numbers. But the festival’s surprise hit was Gardening in Small Spaces.
“A lot of people that came don’t have yards. They just have balconies,” Saunders said.
Many visitors such as Cindy Schneider arrived for a full day of workshops.
“This year it’s even better. The speakers were very knowledgeable and provided us with practical information. You go away feeling confident,” said Schneider.
She attended the sourdough bread-making workshop and came away with oven-ready dough and sourdough starter. At the salad bowls workshop, she received a gardening apron, seeds and soil as well as planting a pot of greens.
Her third workshop was Lola Canola’s gardening for pollinator bees where participants learned to make a bee hotel. For Schneider it was an unexpected educational experience.
“You drill holes into blocks and make places for pollinator bees to overwinter. They lay the larvae and plug up the holes with mud. You can buy a bee house, but the holes are often too big. It’s important to make them useful,” she said.
Only one event, Food as Medicine, was cancelled due to low registration.
Saunders added, “Every year we keep growing the festival. If anyone has ideas for next year or would like to present, we would like to hear from you.”
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