Pop-up tea shows and events began a few years back. The first ones I heard of were by a tea guy, formerly in Australia and now in the UK. He arranged to offer some of his teas and a carefully orchestrated selection of food items at a local market. Since then, I have seen other events popping up here and there, the latest being one in Miami, Florida, conducted by a local tea vendor there (so well-attended that they scheduled more). They helped introduce attendees not only to their fine tea products but also to a world of tea that goes totally beyond the stuff on your grocer’s shelves.

Why Attend One of These Shows

Life is busy – hectic, even. And it can take days, weeks, months, and even years (or perhaps a lifetime) to learn about tea. But you can get some exposure, try some truly good teas, meet some like-minded people (at least as far as learning more about tea goes), and generally have a good time. Fun, entertaining, educational, and usually very reasonable priced (compared with tickets at the cinema or concert hall). You might even find yourself inspired to go a bit further and put on your own pop-up tea event, treat friends, neighbors, and even relatives to some great tea and a bit of info. Sampler packs are a great way to start. You get smaller amounts of tea in a variety of flavors. And you can pick a theme: green teas (including some flavored with fruits, etc.), a particular occasion (Halloween, first day of Autumn, a birthday, etc.), a particular location (Japanese teas, top 10 Chinese teas, Darjeeling teas, etc.).

How to Find a Pop-up Tea Show Near You

This is a bit of a toughie. Sometimes these events don’t have good advance notice. It depends on whose handling the event. The best advice I can give here is to seek out tea vendors near you. One source is a fairly new site called World Tea Directory. Another, of course, is the online Yellow Pages (or even the old-fashioned printed kind). Or search through social media sites for local establishments. You can contact the tea vendors about if they are planning any such events and if they have a mailing list you can join. Or start following them on Facebook, Twitter, etc., to see their announcements. And when you see that announcement, don’t hesitate to sign up.

Enjoy!

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