Food: Whole Foods 30th Birthday Bash This Weekend
Friday, Septmeber 17 - Saturday, September 18
Whole Foods Downtown (525 N Lamar)
FREE, with some exceptions
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The local celebration gets underway on Friday at dusk, when The Mothership (a/k/a Whole Foods' flagship location) presents a free screening of Dazed and Confused (1993) on the store's upper deck. Dazed and Confused is the Richard Linklater cult classic -- filmed in Austin's Bedichek Middle School -- about youth, weed and high school. A special three-course menu will also be available that evening for $15, with a dessert selection that includes hemp brownies and herb gelato. Pretty precious.
On Saturday, September 18, the party ramps up. From noon-3pm, more than 40 local vendors will gather for a free local taste fair in a tent outside Whole Foods Downtown. You'll also find live cooking demonstrations outdoors from noon-5pm featuring Whole Foods' own chefs. One demo that comes highly recommended is Chef John Sarno's -- he's worked as personal chef to Woody Harrelson, and he specializes in meals that are simple, healthy, cheap and kid-approved.
Inside the store itself, you'll find some 30th birthday oddities, including specially commissioned Whole Foods 30th birthday cheeses from Organic Valley, Cypress Grove and Cowgirl Creamery. There will also be limited-edition, gluten-free chocolate birthday cupcakes, and a special birthday cake with blood orange mousse.
If you're crafty in addition to being a fan of food, you'll probably want to head back out to visit the Wondercraft, which will be stationed at Whole Foods Downtown all day long. We talked to Beth Hempton, who operates the vintage Airstream trailer. "We'll be showing folks how they can carve their own unique rubber stamps." This activity is for the 15+ crowd, she added. "We'll also have several finished stamps and an assortment of art supplies that anyone can use to make their own magnet to take home. That part will be great for kiddos & adults." It's free, too, though Hempton said donations are welcome. In addition to stamp madness, Austinist has also gotten word that Sanctuary Printshop in South Austin will be printing organic tees.
After a day of such dizzying activity, Whole Foods' party will wind down with some Austin do-goodery (as you might expect from a supermarket chain that pioneered organics). The grand finale is this Saturday from 6pm till 9pm. "The party will be rocking with White Ghost Shivers and our headliners Beto and the Fairlanes, who played our 'Resurrection Party' after the big flood!," writes Whole Foods.
The flood they're referring to is one that nearly destroyed the operation in 1981. At the time, Whole Foods was a small market, and had no insurance. It took the store 28 days to re-open, and they got by with help from family and friends. Whole Foods is paying back the cosmic bucket this weekend.
There is a $5 suggested donation for General Admission to the evening concert, and $20 tickets gain you drinks and food in the VIP Tent. All proceeds benefit HAAM, the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians, whose mission is to provide access to affordable health care for Austin's low income and uninsured musicians.
