This summer Victoria, British Columbia is the place for Diva foodies with four different events featuring treats and drinks.

FOR THE GREEN DIVA:

Talking Organic: July 10 and 11, 2010

The Annual Organic Islands Festival & Sustainability Expo, the largest outdoor environmental expo, will show visitors how to “Engage the Change”. Local, natural, inspiring, new products, and services will be provided at the festival’s eco-marketplace. Organic-lovin’ Divas can meet with award-winning green businesses, local farmers, chefs and gardeners. There will be 150 exhibits as well as 20 speakers, green technology demos, raw food chefs, entertainment, and 10 acres of garden trails to enjoy.

Where: Glendale Gardens and Woodland in Victoria, BC

Admission will be $12.75 CDN / $12.25 USD for Adults, $10.25 CDN / $9.85 USD for Seniors/Youth 13-18, and children 12 and under are free.

FOR THE TRADITIONAL FARE DIVA:

AFTERNOON TEA: COWICHAN TRIBE STYLE

The Quw’utsun’ Cultural & Conference Centre offers Cultural Divas insights into the history and heritage of the Cowichan Tribe, not only through art, storytelling, and song but also at their dining table. Overlooking the beautiful Cowichan River, The Riverwalk CafĂ© serves up authentic First Nations cuisine featuring delicious traditional fare:

  • Cowichan Kwewe’uts Salad, pan roasted Elk escalope and seasonal berries
  • Thuqi’ Burger, a char-grilled maple marinated Wild Pacific Salmon burger
  • The signature dish, Me’hwulp Salish Afternoon Tea, native herbal tea served either iced or hot alongside other traditional delicacies like smoked  and candied Salmon, blue crab cakes and clam fritters, and blackberry sweet scow bread & fried bread to name a few.

Where: Duncan, 40 minutes north of Victoria, BC

Salish Afternoon Tea is made to be shared between two people and is $24 CDN / $23 USD.

FOR THE “WINE AND CHEESE” DIVA:

Taste Food and Wine Festival: July 15 to 18, 2010

In its second year, Taste invites Wine-an-Dine Divas to experience local fare at 10 events featuring some well-known British Columbia food and wine personalities including: Chef David Mincey, of Victoria’s Camille’s Restaurant and Executive Chef Brad Horen, of the Inn at Laurel Point’s Aura Waterfront Restaurant + Patio along with his Canadian Culinary Olympic team.

The weekend kicks off with an evening of BC wine tasting along with samples of Vancouver Island cuisine at the Victoria Conference Centre’s Crystal Garden. Wine and food seminars fill the remainder of the festival agenda covering such topics as “The Cheese Stands Alone”, “Sips and Seafood”, “Chocoholics Anonymous” and “Band, Bubbles and Bennys” to name a few.

Where: venues throughout downtown Victoria and the Saanich Peninsula

A full listing of events, ticket prices and locations are available online. Tickets for all the events can be purchased on the festival website.

FOR THE BEER DIVA:

Beer-topia celebrates a new brew

A trio of Victoria area pubs, Bard & Banker, Irish Times, and Penny Farthing, in collaboration with local beer guru Matt Phillips have teamed up to pay tribute to one of Canada’s most prolific poets, Robert Service, with a new brew.

The new Scottish stone-fired ale, named Service 1904, starts with an initial sweetness and hint of smoke ending with a taste that is crisp and dry. Beer Babes will also have the opportunity to taste a multitude of local beers as all three locations offer the “two-mile beer diet.” A spin-off of the popular 100-mile diet, the two-mile beer diet features 10 beers brewed within 2 miles or less of their pubs.

All 3 pubs’ websites have more information.