The Second Annual WasabiFest Returns To Portland

Last year I attended the inaugural WasabiFest, which celebrated all things wasabi. There was a chance to try freshly-grated samples of the rhizome itself, get to know products made with wasabi, and there was even a wasabi-eating contest. And this year, it’s back! The second annual WasabiFest is Saturday, June 13. Here are more details about this awesome event.

The People Behind the Second Annual WasabiFest

Like last year, this is a collaboration between Oregon Coast Wasabi and SakéOne. Oregon Coast Wasabi is one of the nation’s leading experts on wasabi cultivation and SakéOne is America’s first craft saké brewery. Oregon Coast Wasabi co-owner Markus Mead grows wasabi rhizomes out by the Oregon coast at his farm, and is considered one of the nation’s leading experts on growing wasabi.

The Second Annual WasabiFest Event Attendance Basics

WasabiFest will take place on Saturday, June 13 from 1pm to 5pm; VIP tickets get you in earlier, at noon. It takes place again at the Redd East Event Space. While this is not strictly a 21+ event, those of legal age will be given a wristband to wear to indicate they are able to consume alcohol.

Tickets

General Admission adult tickets are $30, but right now until Wednesday, April 15 they have early bird pricing at $25 per ticket, so pick those up sooner than later. Here are the other ticket options:

• WasabiFest Early Bird VIP Ticket: $45.
• WasabiFest General Admission Ticket, Ages 13 to 20: $10 (no VIP entry).
• WasabiFest General Admission Ticket, Ages 12 & Under: Free (no VIP entry).
• Exclusive WasabiFest Dinner Pairing: $225.
• WasabiFest VIP Counter Dinner Pairing Ticket: $250.
• SakéOne members also get special pricing for General and VIP tickets ($20 and $40, respectively).

You can buy your tickets on the SakéOne website. They do expect tickets to go fast.

The Wasabi Part

You might think of wasabi as that ball of green paste that accompanies your plate of sushi. It is spicy, for sure— I remember many years ago, a friend popped an entire ball of this paste into his mouth swallowed it. He paid the price in pain and tears—but lived to tell the tale.

Anyway, this particular product is a powder (later mixed with water to make a paste) made with a combination of regular horseradish, mustard extract, citric acid, and food dyes; it is not made with the actual wasabi rhizome.

Last year I tried wasabi freshly grated right in front of me. It was green, earthy, smelled and tasted peppery, with a touch of sweetness—but was not as spicy as I expected. It was made from a rhizome that was grown right here in Oregon, too. In fact, Oregon is one of the few places outside of Japan where you can successfully grow wasabi plants.

At the WasabiFest, you’ll get a chance to try samples of foods made with wasabi, talk to the people using it in their kitchens, and get to know this amazing plant a little better. There will be some live wasabi demonstrations by Markus Mead, too.

Food Sampling: Local Artisans and Culinary Partners

Food vendors at WasabiFest include:

• Dokkaebi Deulpul Kimchi. I caught them at the 2025 Portland Fermentation Festival and really liked a hot sauce they had to sample.
• Franko’s Hot Dogs. Outside of WasabiFest, you’ll find them at Forage Grove in Forest Grove.
• HAB Sauce. I purchased their Asian Hickory BBQ sauce last year and it was fantastic! Their hot sauces are excellent, too.
• Kate’s Ice Cream. Last year they created a mango wasabi flavor of their celebrated plant-based ice cream.
• Koa Roots. They make fruit butters and brown butters.
• Stache Chocolate. A local chocolatier that will have some items in the VIP bag at the Pink! Rosé Festival in May.
• Thip Khao. This is a Thai food pop-up.
• Veggie Snax. Crunchy vegetable snacks.

Retail and community partners include Seisuke Knife, Hector’s Caricatures, Izakaya Impressions, Portland Puzzle Company, and The Freshwater Trust. All will have a presence at WasbiFest.

The Saké and Drinking Part

Saké pairs nicely with wasabi—I’ve even seen wasabi-infused sake. And the skill in cultivating wasabi and the brewing of saké both qualify as a high quality craft and a place of innovation. SakéOne will anchor the event with premium saké sakes from Oregon and Japan.

Along with that, this year’s festival is partnering with Accompani by Straightaway. Straightaway is a Portland-based spirits company that offers ready-to-drink canned and bottle cocktails. Their line, “Accompani,” consists of liqueur, Amaro, and Vermouth that, among other things, help build cocktails.

So you guessed right if you thought, “Hey, I bet they’ll do a collab cocktail at WasabiFest.” Accompani and SakéOne will co-develop a pair of signature cocktails specifically for WasabiFest. Plus you can try the Accompani line on its own, as there will be samples.

For those looking to go the NA route, there will be options: Happy Mountain Kombucha, Shamsa Diahn (coffee), and Urban River Spirits (NA cocktail mixers).

Second Annual WasabiFest Events

There are two events within WasabiFest: performances by Takohachi and a wasabi-eating contest.

They are bringing back Takohachi this year, a Japanese drum and dance ensemble based in Portland. If it’s like last year, they’ll be out in the parking lot offering high-energy performances. There’s taiko drumming and the shinobue (bamboo flute) will make an appearance—they really add to the festive atmosphere. Here’s a clip from last year:

Then there’s the wasabi-eating contest, which went quicker than I expected last year. However, they have expanded the contest to two heats, so it should last longer.

The Exclusive VIP Chef’s Dinner

This intimate, limited-seating chef’s dinner features six local individuals with great culinary talent. The press release copy says it all when it comes to explaining which chefs are participating:

• Kate Koo, Zilla Saké: A certified Saké Sommelier and “Chopped” judge with over two decades of sushi expertise.
• Jeff Kim, AJI Butchery & Zilla Saké: A master of dry-aged fish with a foundation in both traditional and modern techniques.
• Kyle Christy, Street Disco: Known for seasonally driven, technique-forward dishes that have made Street Disco a Portland staple.
• Tracee and Brandon Hirahara, Kau Kau: Bringing “onolicious” Hawaiian flavors and homestyle local favorites to the table.
• Vedran Jordan, Alma: A Portland veteran blending traditional Balkan heritage with modern techniques for a contemporary culinary experience.

The VIP Counter

There are only eight front-row seats for this. You’ll get to watch five Portland chefs together create a multi-course paring of food and premium saké. It starts at 5:15pm—after the main WasabiFest event closes—with a cocktail reception. Markus Mead will make a special presentation, and representatives of Japanese saké breweries will be there.

Then the dinner starts at 6pm; afterwards, there will be a Q&A with the culinary team. Your ticket also includes a general admission ticket to the WasabiFest.

I have many happy memories from last year’s event—I hope you can be there to make your own this year at the second annual WasabiFest. Remember: Early Bird ticket pricing ends Wednesday, April 15.

Second Annual WasabiFest
Saturday, June 13, 2026
1pm to 5pm
Redd East Event Space, 831 Southeast Salmon Street, Portland
Ticket link
WasabiFest website | Instagram | Facebook