From Idea to Festival:
What It Really Takes to Build a Fermentation Event
With Flora Spivak, organiser of the Somerville Fermentation Festival
Last September, the Somerville Fermentation Festival welcomed over 2,000 visitors for a full day of vendors, talks, panel discussions, book signings, a kraut mob, and a community culture swap.
For organiser Flora Spivak, it was her first time hosting an event of this scale.
In this live Pro Members Q&A, Flora reflects honestly on what it took to bring the festival to life – what worked, what surprised her, and what she would do differently next time as she begins planning for Somerville Fermentation Festival 2026.
We’ll cover:
Why a minimum 6-month lead time is essential (and what to focus on first)
Key logistical and organisational lessons from a first-time festival
Common mistakes – and how to avoid them
How community, vendors, and speakers fit together in practice
The session is live, with plenty of space for discussion and questions. If you can’t attend live, you’re welcome to submit questions in advance and watch the replay inside the Hub.
The session will open a few minutes before the start time.
About Our Guest
Flora has been fascinated by fermentation since 2015, when she was surprised to receive a kombucha scoby as a birthday gift. Since then, she has combined her love of food, science, and teaching to share her knowledge and enthusiasm for fermented foods with the Boston-area community. Last year, Flora organized the first Somerville Fermentation Festival, an annual event which celebrates the world of fermented foods and the cultures - both human and microbial - that create them. Flora draws inspiration from the concepts of community, transformation, and the cycles of nature which lie at the heart of this ancient practice.
REPLAY:
Originally recorded live on February 16th
Questions or Reflections?
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