Celebrate Southern Oregon’s food, farms, wine, and culinary community during three days of hands-on experiences, local flavors, and community connection.
Grants Pass, Oregon
Rogue Harvest Fest is a three-day celebration of Southern Oregon’s local food, farms, wine, hospitality, and culinary community.
From youth culinary education and hands-on workshops to chef demonstrations, local producers, restaurant specials, and community celebrations, the festival brings together the people and flavors that make our region special.
10:00 – 10:30 Opening — Welcome & Orientation
Welcome remarks and event overview. Set the tone: today is about exploring who you might become. Icebreaker activity. Overview of the day’s schedule and afternoon workshop choices.
10:30 – 11:15 Panel #1 — Culinary & Food Systems
Panelists share career stories, a day in their world, and what they wish they’d known at 16. Open Q&A with youth.
Suggested panelists: Local Chef • Farmer / Grower • Food Entrepreneur
Key topics: How does local food get from farm to table? What does a culinary career look like?
11:15 – 11:30 Transition
Break, move to next room. Light snack if available.
11:30 – 12:15 Panel #2 — Hospitality & Business
Second panel focused on hospitality industry, business ownership, and career pathways. Open Q&A with youth.
Suggested panelists: Hotel / Spa Manager • Winery / Vineyard Owner • Restaurant Owner
Key topics: What careers exist beyond the kitchen? How did you build your business here in Southern Oregon?
12:15 – 12:30 Transition
Break, regroup, prepare for share-out.
12:30 – 1:00 Group Gather — Share Out & Q&A
Full group reflection after both panels. Youth share what stood out, what surprised them, and what questions remain.
Facilitated prompts: What career sparked your interest? What did you learn about how food gets to your plate?
Panelists available for informal Q&A.
1:00 – 2:00 Lunch Break
Locally sourced lunch from participating restaurants. Informal time to connect with panelists, peers, and mentors. Youth preview afternoon workshop options and select their track before returning.
2:00 – 2:15 Transition to Workshop Stations
Youth move to their chosen workshop location. Facilitators set up and ready materials.
2:15 – 3:00 Activity Workshop — Round 1 (Choose Your Track)
Youth choose one of four hands-on workshop tracks:
3:00 – 3:15 Transition to Round 2
Switch to a new workshop station or go deeper in the same track.
3:15 – 4:00 Activity Workshop — Round 2 (Choose Your Track)
A second round of workshops focused on creativity, workforce skills, and food systems storytelling:
4:00 – 4:15 Closing Gather & Send-Off
Full group reconvenes. Closing remarks, certificates and recognition, and next steps: resources, job shadowing, and future program opportunities. Youth are invited to join the evening Welcome Cocktail Hour to interact with adult attendees and producers.
10:00 – 10:15 Welcome & Overview
Brief welcome, overview of the day’s programming. Guests select their workshop tracks and receive their Rogue Harvest bingo card.
10:15 – 11:00 Workshop Round 1 — Choose Your Track
Four simultaneous hands-on workshops. Guests choose one:
Still workshopping?
11:00 – 11:15 Transition
Move to next session. Collect bingo stamps at producer tables.
11:15 – 12:00 Chef Demo & Industry Panel
Live chef demonstration open to all attendees. Panel of local producers — brewery, farmer, and winery — share their story and take questions from the audience. 45-minute session.
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch & Harvest Specials
Participating restaurants offer locally sourced harvest specials. Guests explore downtown, fill out bingo cards, and connect informally with producers and artisans.
1:00 – 2:00 Panels with Featured Speakers — The Lodge
Regional culinary, agricultural, and tourism leaders spotlight Southern Oregon’s local food economy. Open Q&A with all attendees.
2:00 – 2:15 Transition to Workshop Round 2
Move to your chosen workshop location.
2:15 – 3:00 Workshop Round 2 — Choose Your Track
Second round of hands-on workshops:
3:00 – 3:15 Transition
Return to the main floor. Producer market and bingo stations open.
3:15 – 4:00 Open Exploration & Producer Market
Guests browse vendor and producer tables, collect remaining bingo stamps, and connect with farms, wineries, and artisans before the evening celebration.
5:00 – 7:00 Harvest Block Party — Owl Plaza
Community celebration in downtown Grants Pass. Participating bars and restaurants feature drinks made with local syrups and ingredients.
Live music, cornhole, and lawn games in the plaza. Completed bingo cards submitted at the Welcome Center for the prize drawing.
Morning Brunch at Participating Restaurants
Sunday is self-guided. Use your weekend itinerary to find participating brunch spots across Grants Pass. Restaurants are offering locally sourced brunch menus and harvest specials.
Drop completed bingo cards at the Welcome Center before you head out. Prize drawing winners will be notified after the event.
Safe travels — and thank you for being part of Rogue Harvest Fest.
Notes:
Rogue Harvest Fest is powered by the restaurants, farms, wineries, growers, makers, and hospitality businesses that make Southern Oregon special.
Rogue Harvest Fest takes place over three days, Friday through Sunday, October 23–25, 2026, in Grants Pass, Oregon.
Friday is the Youth Culinary & Hospitality Day, designed for ages 14–18. The day includes career panels, Q&A sessions, a locally sourced lunch, hands-on workshops, and opportunities to explore careers in culinary arts, farming, hospitality, and business.
Saturday is an all-ages day featuring hands-on workshops, chef demonstrations, industry panels, harvest specials, featured speakers, a producer market, and the evening Harvest Block Party.
Workshop topics include knife skills, culinary basics, charcuterie, sourdough and baking, mixology, pickling and fermenting, desserts, agrotourism, and farm-to-fork experiences.
The Harvest Block Party takes place Saturday from 5:00–7:00 PM at Owl Plaza. Guests can enjoy local food and drinks, live music, cornhole, lawn games, and the Rogue Harvest bingo prize drawing.
Sunday is a self-guided Send-Off Brunch. Guests can visit participating restaurants throughout Grants Pass for locally sourced brunch menus and harvest specials.
Yes. Rogue Harvest Fest will feature restaurants, farms, wineries, growers, producers, and other Southern Oregon businesses throughout the weekend. Participating businesses will be added to the website as they are confirmed.
Guests will receive a Rogue Harvest bingo card and can collect stamps while visiting participating producers and festival activities. Completed cards can be submitted for the festival prize drawing.
Festival activities take place in and around Grants Pass, Oregon, with programming at multiple workshop locations and community spaces throughout the weekend.
The festival brings together youth, families, food lovers, local producers, chefs, farmers, hospitality professionals, and the wider Southern Oregon community. Friday is specifically focused on youth ages 14–18, while Saturday is open to all ages.
