Northwest Tea Festival @ Seattle Center Exhibition Hall

Now steeping for its fifteenth year, the Northwest Tea Festival takes over Seattle Center’s Exhibition Hall for two days of sipping, slurping and learning. Equal parts marketplace, classroom and cultural exchange, the festival welcomes both the tea-curious and the thoroughly tannin-stained to taste, sniff and discover the many shades of this ancient leaf.

For $25, you’ll snag a porcelain tasting cup and shopping bag (while supplies last), which serves as your passport to unlimited pours at exhibitor booths and program sessions. With each refill, you’re not just drinking tea but time-traveling through history, culture and craft. Stage talks, workshops and tea bar activities are all included (though the hands-on workshops require a little RSVP magic in advance).

The weekend schedule is brimming. On Saturday, plunge into samovar traditions, unravel the secrets of Japanese green tea with certified advisor Kyohei Sugimoto or let blogger Neldon Hamblin of “Tea with Neldon” guide you through China’s rare brews. Sunday pours out plenty too — from “The Why of Teapot Shapes and Forms” to the contemplative Wu-Wo Tea Ceremony. Whether you’re curious about Ayurveda, obsessed with tea in the time of Jane Austen or tracking the global economics of the brew, there’s a session steeped just for you.

So come sip, linger and leave (leaf?) with new knowledge. At the Northwest Tea Festival, you’re not just drinking tea — you’re steeped in a tradition that spans centuries, served piping hot in Seattle each fall.