Weekly gastronomy agenda: Rockies Oyster Festival, Gluten Free Expo

This week: 15,000 people go testy tasting at the Rockies Oyster Festival in Montana, USA and the sixth annual Gluten Free Expo opens in Sydney, Australia.

Registration for Foodbuzz Project Food Blog closes
Early August
Online

If you would like to join the first Foodbuzz Project Food Blog, a competition to find the ‘Next Food Blog Star,' you will need to register online before early August and become a ‘Foodbuzz Featured Publisher': basically fill out an online form and meet the blogging criteria (have at least a month-old blog, with 10 posts in English, focused on food and dining). The winner will receive a $10,000 (€8,111) prize and a one-year contract with Foodbuzz plus the title of Food Blog Star. Foodbuzz expects 4000 bloggers to compete in nine challenges that will be judged by a panel including Dana Cowin, the editor-in-chief of Food & Wine magazine.
http://bit.ly/9YQ2xa

Rockies Oyster Festival (Testy Festy)
August 4-8
Clinton, Montana, USA

A festival devoted to tasting 'testies' ('cowboy caviar' or bulls' testicles) takes place annually in Montana, and the hosts at the Rock Creek Lodge expect over 15,000 culinary daredevils from around the world. 
http://www.testyfesty.com

Sixth Annual Gluten Free Expo
August 6-7
Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney, Australia

The two-day event is devoted to gluten-free products and sessions on the science behind gluten intolerance, cooking-without-gluten classes and tips to create a healthy gluten-free diet. The 6th annual Gluten Free Expo is free and hosted by The Coeliac Society of NSW Inc and The Clever Event Company. The natural, ready-to-eat Indian and Thai food company Tasty Bite is sponsoring the stage events and exhibitors are expected to launch new products. 
http://www.glutenfreeexpo.com.au

Mead Day
August 7
Worldwide

The 8th annual Mead Day is a celebration of homebrewers. The American Homebrewers Association (AHA) recommends celebrating Mead Day by making mead. This year's recipe along with the previous can be found at: http://wiki.americanhomebrewers.org/AHAMeadDay


HKTDC Food Expo (Food Expo)
August 12-16
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong, China

This year's event will welcome over 350,000 visitors and 11,000 food buyers from 24 nations, and special attention will be on noodles/pasta with demos and new products highlights. The expo includes a Trade Hall and Public Hall with the largest pavilions represented by Japan and Korea. The HKTDC Food Expo is co-located with the International Conference & Exhibition of Modernization of Chinese Medicine & Health Products and the Hong Kong International Tea Fair. The expo is only open to the public on August 14, admission is free with online pre-registration.
http:// www.hktdc.com/hkfoodexpo


Isle of Wight Garlic Festival
August 14-15
Newchurch, Isle of Wight, UK?

Approximately 25,000 garlic lovers are to spend two days celebrating garlic with a range of unusual garlic-flavored products that includes ice cream, jelly beans, fudge and beer. Tickets for adults are £7.50 (€9), children £4(€5) and seniors are £6.50 (€8).
http://www.garlic-festival.co.uk/


Joy of Sake
August 19
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

The Joy of Sake is taking the world's finest sakes on tour for its ninth annual event with Hawaii as its first stop. Over 300 sakes will be showcased and paired with appetizers from local restaurants including a blind tasting with 10 Japanese sake judges. After Hawaii the tour heads to San Francisco on September 9, New York City on September 23 and ends in Tokyo, Japan on November 2. Tickets are $70-80 (€55-63) depending on location. http://www.joyofsake.com


10th Annual Roasters Guild Retreat
August 19-22
Stevenson, Washington, USA

Annual professional event hosted by the Specialty Coffee Association of America, with courses in green grading, cupping and grinding along with a sensory skills test. It also features two challenges, one on blending Guatemala flavor profiles and roasting. Registration for members is $795 (€624) and non-members $1095 (€860). http://www.roastersguild.org/retreat.html   


The Organic Expo & Green Show
August 20-23
Sydney, Australia?

Oceania Pacific's leading certified organic and green lifestyle event celebrates its sixth annual Organic Expo & Green Show in Sydney and expects to welcome over 8000 trade visitors and the public. The theme is ‘Paddock to Plate' and foodies can enjoy celebrity chef organic healthy cooking demos from Kylie Kwong, Tobie Puttock, Simon Lawson, Samantha Gowing and Teresea Cutter. Passes can be purchased online for AUD13-22 (€9-15)
http://www.organicexpo.com.au/


Copenhagen Cooking 2010
August 20-29
Copenhagen, Denmark?

Foodies head to Copenhagen for the sixth annual Nordic Food Festival. Expect to find lots of green cuisine, Danish beer, Aquavit pairings, garage wines and events to devoted to the ‘ecological hot dog' and the ‘new Nordic diet'. Plus the city's restaurants and cafés will be serving up special menus. Tickets are to go on sale August 10.
http://www.copenhagencooking.com


New Zealand Culinary Fare
August 22-24
ASB Showgrounds, Auckland, New Zealand

The 18th Annual New Zealand Culinary Fare is a three-day competition with 1,000 chefs and hospitality professionals competing in the "world's largest annual hot kitchen competition" with 60 different events. http://www.restaurantnz.co.nz/culinarycomp.asp