The Northeast Coffee Festival returns to Concord this weekend, May 2-3, promising a caffeine-fueled celebration for professionals and coffee lovers alike.
The festival draws between 6,000 to 8,000 attendees each year and was founded by Karen Bassett, owner of Wayfarer Coffee, in 2022. It began outside Wayfarer’s flagship café in Laconia, but quickly outgrew the space and was moved to Concord two years ago.
The two-day festival features more than 40 hands-on workshops, with something for both coffee and tea drinkers. The conversations are led by nearly 50 industry professionals.
“Speciality coffee has been a high-growth industry in the past two years,” said Alex Stoyle, the owner of Revelstoke Coffee in Concord, who has been involved in the coffee festival since the beginning. “I think there’s something for everybody.”
Here’s What to Expect:
- 30+ Vendors
- Demo Stage
- Live Music
- Food Trucks
- Kids Play Zone
- Beer Garden
- Latte Art Throwdown
Q&A with Karen Bassett, Founder of the Northeast Coffee Festival and Owner of Wayfarer Coffee
Granite Post: What made you want to start a coffee festival?
Karen Bassett: Specialty coffee in the Northeast has always been very spread out, very isolated, because we’re all in our little towns. So to have an event that combines both coffee professionals and coffee consumers was kind of the vision behind what we wanted. Coffee brings people together. Coffee is a great way to have a gathering place in a community, and that was a natural extension of our vision at Wayfarer Coffee Roasters.
Granite Post: How long have you been in business?
Karen Bassett: We opened Wayfarer, our flagship café on Main Street in Laconia, in 2015.
Granite Post: How did you get started?
Karen Bassett: I’m originally from Seattle, Washington—so, of course, coffee runs in your blood over there. When I moved out here, I started roasting coffee at home and selling it at farmers markets. After a few years, we opened a café with a couple of other people and began roasting right in our downtown location. Since then, we’ve added a second café and moved our roastery to an off-site warehouse to expand our wholesale offerings and help others serve good coffee, too.
Granite Post: What’s your go-to coffee order?
Karen Bassett: It’s very simple. I love a light roast cup of drip coffee, usually from Central America. If I’m feeling a little fancy, I’ll go for a cappuccino. There’s a coffee for everyone—you just have to find what you like. That’s the cool part about coffee.
Granite Post: What is it about Central American coffee that stands out?
Karen Bassett: It’s usually pretty sweet—it has a sweetness and brightness to it depending on how it’s roasted. But even within Central America, coffee can span a wide flavor spectrum. It depends on the farm, the processing, how it’s roasted, and how it’s brewed. We’ve brought in coffee from Guatemala, Honduras, Papua New Guinea, Burundi, Brazil—you name it. It’s been amazing to experience coffee from all over the world and figure out how to bring out its best flavor.
Granite Post: How do you decide where to get coffee from?
Karen Bassett: At Wayfarer, we want to know the story behind the coffee. What’s the farmer’s name? What’s their impact in their community? What’s their processing method? If a coffee aligns with our values, we’ll bring in samples, taste them as a team, and decide what we like best. Since coffee is a crop, it’s always changing, so we’re constantly trying new options. Once we decide on one, we’ll write a contract—say for 30 or 50 bags—depending on how much we think we’ll sell. Then we work with an importer to bring it in, and we fine-tune the roast profile to get it just right.
Granite Post: What can people learn at the festival?
Karen Bassett: Our educational programming is divided into seven workshop tracks, each focused on a different aspect of coffee and tea:
- Espresso: Learn latte art basics, advanced techniques, and machine maintenance—great for baristas and café owners.
- Sensory: Explore brewing methods, tasting techniques, and how brew style changes flavor.
- Tea: Discover Japanese and Nepali tea traditions, tea lattes, and more.
- Cupping: Join guided tastings for both beginners and experienced professionals.
- Roasting: Dive into roasting techniques and business strategy.
- Panel Discussions: Hear from experts on trends, ethics, and innovations—like co-fermentation (yes, even with Pad Thai notes!).
- Beyond the Cup: Try something new with workshops on coffee cocktails and creative brewing methods.
The event is choose-your-own-adventure style. Each time slot offers seven workshops, and sessions are first come, first served—so it’s smart to have a backup plan in case your top pick fills up.
Pass Info:
A $75 education pass includes access to 10 sessions, the welcome party, and all indoor events, including the Latte Art Throwdown on the Bank of NH Stage.
No Pass? No Problem.
All outdoor activities—vendors, food trucks, live music, and family fun—are free and open to the public. Whether you’re a seasoned barista or just love a good cup of coffee, there’s something for you.
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