'Doughy and delicious': Bread Fest returning to Portland

22.09.2024 19:00

Koin.com

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The second-annual Bread Fest is returning to Portland in October — celebrating local bakers, millers, and all-things bread.

"It's a bustling farmers market celebration of all things doughy and delicious," Bread Fest Co-Directors, and husband and wife, Brad Kohler and Shyla Williams said.

The co-directors expect the fest to be triple the size of the inaugural fest, featuring dozens of local vendors including Pony Pony Pastries, Bubblegum Bakery, Dana Carey Bakes, Salvi Donuts, Omija Home Bakes, Flour Bloom, Henry Higgins Boiled Bagels, and Good Dough (Kohler's company).

Portland bakery Pony Pony Pastries is among 2024’s Bread Fest vendors –serving an assortment of croissants and other pastries (Courtesy Kristen Napoleoni, Pony Pony Pastries.)
Portland bakery Pony Pony Pastries is among 2024’s Bread Fest vendors – serving up serving an assortment of croissants and other pastry (Courtesy Kristen Napoleoni, Pony Pony Pastries.)
Portland bakery Pony Pony Pastries is among 2024’s Bread Fest vendors – serving up serving an assortment of croissants and other pastry (Courtesy Kristen Napoleoni, Pony Pony Pastries.)
Bread Fest 2023 featured baked goods from Dana Carey Bakes, offering items such as blueberry lemon meringue croissants (Courtesy Dana Carey Bakes).
Pastry Chef Dana Carey, of Dana Carey Bakes, was among vendors attending Bread Fest 2023, presenting baked goods and laminated pastries (Courtesy Dana Carey Bakes.)
Pastry Chef Dana Carey, of Dana Carey Bakes, was among vendors attending Bread Fest 2023, presenting baked goods and laminated pastries (Courtesy Dana Carey Bakes.)
Brad Kohler, of Good Dough and a bread baker/prep cook at Ava Gene’s, is organizing Portland, Oregon’s first-ever Bread Fest at Cookshop on Oct. 15, 2023 (Courtesy Brad Kohler).
Yellow Heart Sunshine bakery is planning on bringing sugar cookie buns, matcha sugar cookie buns, mini pecan pies, cinnamon rolls, and matcha sugar rolls to Bread Fest 2023 (Courtesy Yellow Heart Sunshine.)
Pastry Chef Dana Carey, of Dana Carey Bakes, is among vendors attending Bread Fest 2023, presenting baked goods and laminated pastries (Courtesy Dana Carey Bakes.)

This year's Bread Fest will be held Oct. 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Portland's Factor Building at 226 Southeast Madison Street, with $5 tickets available at the door.

Kohler and Williams told KOIN 6 News they're looking forward to bringing the community together with local artisans.

“Brad and I, we moved to Portland almost eight years ago from California and we really love Portland,” Williams said. “One thing that we’ve always enjoyed about the community here is how everyone shows up for each other.”

The inaugural fest in 2023 brought about 1,500 attendees and a sold-out market in 45 minutes.

“The community was very pleased with the event and the people that hung around after the fact got to talk to the local bakers and the millers and all the people who were involved. It was a really special event,” Kohler reflected.

“Brad has been in the baking industry for over a decade now, and I'm more of an enthusiast in the baking industry, but it was his idea to come up with doing a bread festival where we can showcase local bakers and businesses and really bring the community together showcasing bread, that everybody loves," Williams said.

Ahead of the first Bread Fest, Kohler told KOIN 6 News he had the idea to start the fest for awhile, explaining, "I’m a bread baker by trade and just love bread, love the world of bread, and flour, and pastry."

He added, “I felt like this would be a great thing to start and also to be able to maybe promote my own brand as well as promote other up-and-coming bakers."

Williams furthered, “I've been meeting and getting to know so many of these incredible local bakers and flour millers and people who are in the industry, and it's going to be really exciting to be able to all come together and take it all in, a moment of coming together in community, I'm really excited for that."