I’m excited! Slow Food Nation marks the largest food event in America! At the Marketplace, commencing on Friday August 29th through Sunday the 31st, you can enjoy hearing about the fruits of the farmers’ labor in Civic Center Plaza. Check out the outdoor food bazaar, urban garden and farmer’s market in case you’d like to bring some of the slowness home. You can also spend time at the soap box, listening to orations by those in the know about how our food is grown, processed and presented. All of these activities are free and open to the public.

At the Taste Pavilions over at Fort Mason you can indulge in regional delicacies such as hand-cranked organic strawberry ice cream and wood-fired pizza (though not in the same space, purists will be pleased to hear and fast food fiends will lament). With 15 unique pavilions, I recommend that you arrive hungry and plan to spend your days grazing. Don’t worry, though, there is plenty of beer and wine to keep your spirits up! Purchase the $45-$65 tickets online or at Whole Foods.

There are so many events going on that I could spend days delivering the news. But, thankfully, their excellent website lays it all out for you: slowfoodnation.org