Summer was bid farewell and lady autumn was greeted with open hearts by tea fans of all ages who gathered at Dobra Tea in Black Mountain on Sunday, Sept. 21, to celebrate the change of seasons. Dobra Tea and Panther Moon Tea Co. united to host the inaugural Fall Equinox Communi-Tea Festival, an event filled with music, dancing, qi gong, family-friendly activities and, of course, heaps of tea.
In addition to Dobra Tea and Panther Moon Tea Co., vendors include AppalaChai, Infusion Lounge, Silvermoon Chocolate, Buchi Kombucha, Deep Alchemy, Black Mountain Integrative Care and Raven and Crone. Spirits seemed high as folks meandered to the different vendors, tasted new teas, socialized and basked in the sunshine.
“I think that there is something really expansive about tea, and there’s something that is settling and calming as well, and it’s nice when all of these people in the community who do slightly different things and overlap in certain regards can start off a new season together,” says Dobra Tea employee Jamie Paul.
A qi gong workshop provided the backdrop as the last day of summer slowly drew to a close. Dobra Tea owner Andrew Snavely reflected on the festival’s success:”Today has been wonderful, bringing all of the unified tea businesses in the Asheville region into one space. The weather has been wonderful; we couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day. I think that everyone has been very touched in their hearts to meet others and to make new friends amongst our community. Tea has been that beverage today to bring that community force together.”
Don’t fret if you missed the event this time around; you can catch it again in the spring. Snavely assures that Communi-Tea festivals will pay homage to the spring equinox, summer solstice and autumn equinox each year.
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