Oregon Blue Foods Forum
February 18th - 20th, Portland, Oregon
Oregon seafare producers, processors, innovators and eaters unite!
Join us in February 2025 as Winter Waters, in partnership with the Oregon Ocean Cluster and Oregon Mariculture Collaborative, anchors the first-ever Oregon Blue Foods Forum in Portland, OR! Dynamic curated experiences in inspiring venues, featuring some of Oregon’s best chefs and artisans are designed to deepen connections and uplift Oregon’s blue foods, producers, makers, and the regional food and beverage economy.
This inaugural community-building event will unfold in three parts. The Forum will kick off with a day-long industry Seafare Symposium, followed by a Seaweed + Oyster Social at The Redd on 2/18. A hands-on Ocean Art! Xperience at Art Design Xchange (ADX) will delight the senses on 2/19, then the event will culminate in an food-festival style Seafaring Speakeasy culinary showcase at Union Pine on 2/20.
What is a Blue Food anyway?
The United Nations (UN) defines Blue Foods as foods that come from water, such as fish, shellfish, and seaweed, and has emphasized their importance in our food system. We are lucky that Oregon is home to some of the most sustainable fisheries in the world, as well as land-based regenerative seaweed farming!
While the Symposium is crafted specifically for folks working in or with the local seafood sector and food systems, all other events are geared to anyone interested in supporting and learning more about Oregon’s foods from the sea!
Come for one event or come to them all!
Our Portland lodging partner, KEX Portland, is offering a Winter Waters discount all of February for those coming from out of town for Winter Waters events. Use code ILOVESEAWEED for 20% off room nights.
Bonus: there will be Winter Waters seaweed-centric menu specials going on across town - so even if you don’t attend all of the Blue Foods Forum events, there will always be something fun to and delicious to enjoy.
Huge thanks to our sponsors and venue partners: Oregon Coast Visitors Association, Travel Oregon, Oregon Coastal Mariculture Collaborative, The Builders Initiative, Ecotrust, Art Design Xchange, and Union Pine for making these event possible!
Blue Foods Symposium - SOLD OUT
Tuesday, February 18th - The Redd, Portland, Oregon
We are making a space for passionate food industry dreamers, makers and doers to take action.
Part of our three-day Blue Foods Forum, the Seafare Symposium will turn the traditional conference model on its head. Join us for a full day of immersive industry-focused workshops designed to drive progress and inspire collaboration around Oregon’s food system challenges and opportunities. If you’re tired of talking about ideas, and would rather be in a room with action-oriented, fun, and ocean-loving folks, this is the right place for you.
Over the course of the day, we will take a deeper dive on all things related to Oregon's wild and incredible foods from the sea, and explore how localizing our food systems and re-imagining of use our natural resources can ignite a better future for all. Food system champions such as Nikki Guerrero of Hot Mama Salsa, Chef Andre Uribe, Chef Maylin Chavez and Alanna Kieffer of Shifting Tides NW will help guide discussions and storytelling to help craft a vision for the future food systems we long to see. Enjoy intentional conversations, updates on compelling projects and business resources, and delicious ocean-centric food.
Symposium Workshop:
9 AM - 4 PM An immersive, industry-focused workshop designed to drive progress, activate solutions, and inspire collaboration around Oregon’s food system challenges. Registration fee includes breakfast snacks, art and seafood demos, tastings and lunch. Full scholarships or industry discounts available upon request. This workshop is limited to 50 attendees. Registration includes ticket to the Seaweed + Oyster Social.
Seaweed + Oyster Social
Tuesday, February 18th, 4-6pm - The Redd, Portland, Oregon
Part of the three-day Blue Foods Forum, our Seaweed + Oyster Social by Chef Maylin Chávaz of Nácar Oysters follows a day of Seafare Symposium workshops, but it open to the general public! You don’t need to work in the seafood industry or attend the symposium to join in on the seafoody goodness. Enjoy networking with chefs, food scientists, and other seaweed and ocean-venture curious folks.
In addition to Haystack Shellfish Cø. oysters on the half shell by Chef Maylin, the student chefs from Siletz Valley School will be serving hot dishes out of a food trailer. Come support these students, who participate in Oregon's first ever High School Seafood Butchery Program. You may have heard about the program, as it was recently featured by many media outlets including Oregon Public Broadcasting. This innovative program has been getting a lot of attention as it seeks to develop Oregon's future workforce. Watch a video about the program HERE.
Tickets are offered at a $10-20 sliding scale, benefitting the Oregon Kelp Alliance and Central Coast Food Web. Your ticket gets you one drink and one bite. Additional food and drinks are available for purchase a la carte.
Ocean Art! Xperience
Wednesday, February 19th, 5 - 9pm at ADX, Portland, OR
On day two of the Winter Waters Blue Foods Forum, we invite you to join us for an immersive cultural and artistic exploration of Oregon’s coastal bounty at Portland's premier art and design hub, Art Design Xchange (ADX). Join us for conversations over creation - this is about weaving and gathering materials, ideas, and exploring with intention...together!
Hands-on workshops led by local artisans will introduce innovative sustainable materials while giving participants the chance to learn and hone art techniques. Choose your own adventure with the following options:
Seacuterie Boards with Abby Ruston of Ruston Creations
Book Making with Jessica Werner
Linocut + block printing with Sarah Sullivan
Create and be inspired! Stay for ocean-centric snacks and social hour 7:30-9pm
This event invites guests to reflect on conservation, sustainability, and the deep connections we share with our watery world. Whether you're a lover of art, nature, or both, this will be a transformative journey into the heart of the ocean.
Workshops 5-7pm. Stay for ocean-centric snacks and social 7-9pm.
Seafaring Speakeasy!
Thursday, February 20th, 6-9pm, Union Pine, Portland OR
Journey the depths and flavors of Oregon’s ocean tastes, innovations, and culture in this exclusive sea-centric party. The final event of our three-day Blue Foods Forum, the Seafaring Speakeasy is a food festival-style event open to the general public! You don’t need to work in the seafood industry or attend the symposium to join in on the seafoody goodness.
Expect ocean-inspired art, stimulating conversations on conservation with scientists, food producers, educators, fishermen, winemakers and artisans - as well as chefs doing incredible things to support Oregon's local regenerative farmers, fishers, and ranchers. Watch screenings of short films, filmed and produced by Elevation 0m and Food Strong Family, experience a marine touch tank of live sea urchins, and mingle with other fun-loving ocean advocates including Alanna Kieffer of Shifting Tides NW and Tom Calvanese of the Oregon Mariculture Collaborative.
Incredible food and drinks will be provided by local chefs and tastemakers such as Maylin Chavez, Andre Uribe, Darren Yondorf and team from The Minnow, Brendan and Haley Byer of Alea, Chef Jeff Kim of Aji Fish Butchery, cocktail champions from Bar West and more.
This event will be located at Union Pine in Portland, an intimate venue designed to cultivate and inspire community. A portion of the proceeds will go to support the work of the Oregon Kelp Alliance.
Your ticket allows for 5 food tokens + 1 welcome drink. Additional food + drink tokens are available for purchase onsite.
About Us
Winter Waters is an Oregon-born initiative dedicated to promoting seaweed as a superfood culinary ingredient and enhancing local Oregon coast food systems. Our mission is to bridge the gap between consumers and sustainable seafood sources through education and shared meals.
Each February, Winter Waters collaborates with chefs and tastemakers to celebrate local seafood! The state of Oregon boasts some of the most sustainable fisheries in the world, yet much of the seafood produced is exported, and a significant portion of consumed seafood is imported (about 90%!). There is a disconnect between the people and the process and we’d like to help bridge this gap through education and delicious culinary experiences.
Winter Waters Co-Founders: Alanna Kieffer, Kristen Penner, and Rachelle Hacmac