Culinary party FEASTIVAL switches to virtual dinner series for 2020

The culinary festival FEASTIVAL, which benefits FringeArts, is an annual event filled with delicious food from the city's top chefs and exciting live entertainment.

This year, FEASTIVAL is switching to a virtual format due to COVID-19 and will offer interactive culinary experiences that participants can enjoy from home, including a "Chopped"-style challenge.

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Also, because of the coronavirus pandemic's impact on the hospitality and restaurant industries, FEASTIVAL will be donating to two additional organizations this year.

The organizations are the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association's Hospitality Assistance Response of Pennsylvania fund, an emergency relief fund administering financial grants to unemployed restaurant workers, and Cooking for the Culture, an organization dedicated to highlighting Black culinary talent and tackling inequity in the kitchen.

There will be five different culinary experiences between Thursday, Oct. 8, and Sunday, Oct. 11. The price of each event ticket includes a box with the items needed to participate in the experience from home. And just like the traditional FEASTIVAL, the culinary aspect will be paired with a unique performance from FringeArts.

Tickets range from $50 to $125. Below is the lineup, provided by FEASTIVAL.

"Not Pizza" Box Cooking Demonstration

Learn what Malaysian, Dutch and Indonesian cooking have in common with Ange Branca (Sate Kampar), Joncarl Lachman (Noord and Winkl) and Diana Widjojo (Hardena), three talented chefs of very different backgrounds. Streamed live from Winkel, the evening begins with a cooking demonstration led by Branca. Then, participants will join the chefs for a discussion on their experiences in the kitchen and how their cultures intersect. Attendees will receive a special FEASTIVAL version of Hardena’s viral "Not Pizza" Box, which will be filled with three dishes prepared by the chefs (serves 3-4).

No Pants, No Problem Mixology Class

Thursday, Oct. 8
9 p.m. | $125

Mixologist Resa Mueller of R&D Cocktail Bar will teach participants to create three blueprint cocktails featuring Makers Mark and Southern Wine & Spirits products at home, with options for customization to fit their own personal styles. Ticket buyers will receive the drink ingredients (3 drinks).

Carnaval Jujeño Cook-A-Long

Friday, Oct. 9
6 p.m. | $100

Chef Jezabel Careaga will bring the music, spirit and food of Carnaval in Northwest Argentina to participants' homes. Broadcasting live from the kitchen at Jezabel's Cafe, Careaga will share the traditions of the Carnaval Jujeño with virtual guests, guiding them as they prepare traditional Argentine empanadas. Ticket buyers will receive the ingredients – empanada circles and beef/chicken or vegetable filling – needed to follow along with Careaga, a traditional appetizer, humitas, a side dish for the home- baked empanadas and dessert (serves 2).

Everybody Eats' Philadelphia Cook-A-Long

Friday, Oct. 9
8 p.m. | $100

Join chefs Gregory Headen, Malik Ali, Curtis Evans, Stephanie Willis and Aziza Young of Everybody Eats for a celebration of Philadelphia. Watch a mini-documentary highlighting the city, their work against food insecurity and ways to join the movement, followed by an interactive cooking session on how to create Everybody Eats' take on the Philly cheesesteak. Ticket buyers will receive the ingredients for the sandwich (serves 2). 

The Hungry Games Cooking Competition 

Sunday, Oct. 11
7 p.m. | $50

Inspired by the Food Network’s "Chopped," local chef and Food Network alum Elijah Milligan of Cooking for the Culture will host FEASTIVAL's first cooking competition. Milligan will challenge three chefs to utilize a mystery ingredient in a dish to be judged by a panel of culinary experts. Ticket buyers will receive a box of snacks curated by the chefs (serves 1).