Oregon Blue Foods Forum
February 18th - 20th, Portland, Oregon — SIGN UP FOR MORE INFO
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 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 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 epic Seafaring Speakeasy and educational 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 hotel, is offering a Winter Waters discount all of February for those coming from out of town for Winter Waters events.
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, The Builders Initiative, Ecotrust, Art Design Xchange, and Union Pine for making this event possible!
Blue Foods Symposium + Industry Seaweed Oyster Social
Tuesday, February 18 - The Redd, Portland, Oregon
We are making a space for passionate food industry dreamers, makers and doers to take action.
This 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 oriented 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.
Seaweed Oyster Social:
4 PM - 6 PM For those who can’t make it to the Workshops, join us for an informal happy hour mixer at The Redd! Enjoy networking with chefs, food scientists, and other seaweed and ocean-venture curious, in this business social featuring oysters and tasty sea snacks. This portion is open to the public; $10-20 sliding scale entry benefits the Oregon Kelp Alliance and Central Coast Food Web. Mixer is included for workshop attendees as part of registration.
TICKETS COMING SOON! Space is limited - sign up below to be first to know when tickets go live!
Ocean Art! Xperience
Wednesday, February 19th, 5 - 9pm at ADX, Portland, OR — TICKETING LINK COMING SOON
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. Create and be inspired! Then hang to enjoy ocean-centric snacks and N/A beverage bar 7 - 9pm. Mark your calendar and stay tuned for more details!
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.
Seafaring Speakeasy
Thursday, February 20th, 6 - 9pm, Portland OR at Union Pine — TICKETING LINK COMING SOON
Journey the depths and flavors of Oregon’s ocean tastes, innovations, and culture in this sea-centric party!
This culinary showcase for ocean advocates will feature live sea creatures, vision-casting discussions, and opportunities to connect with the people driving Oregon’s Blue Foods innovation.
Expect an highly curated evening of 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 about our coastal fishers and farmers, filmed and produced by Elevation 0m, experience a marine touch tank of live sea urchins and other coastal favorites with Shifting Tides NW, food and drinks from veteran local chefs as well as up-and-coming talent; join Chef Maylin Chavez, The Minnow, Alea, Bar West and more.
This event will be located at Union Pine in Portland, an intimate venue made to cultivate change and inspire community! A portion of the proceeds will go to support the work of the Oregon Kelp Alliance.
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