The food, drinks and company at this citywide event are always 5 star. 

Ready for a truly delicious week?

We’re popping the cork on the biggest culinary celebration for women in the Pacific Northwest, and trust us, you’ll want a seat at this table. 

Roux Portland is back from October 6-12, and it’s more than just an excuse to eat your way through the city. It’s a powerful celebration of the incredible women, nonbinary and queer folks dominating Portland’s food and beverage landscape.

If your calendar is looking a little too quiet, Roux has a fix for that. 

The week kicks off with a launch party on Monday, Oct. 6, at L’Echelle, featuring treats from Cornet Custard and pop-up Euzumeh. Then there’s another ticketed party on Friday, Oct. 10, at Farag’s on the back patio of Güero, where the vibe is all about eating, drinking and hanging out. Plus, there’s a free dessert event, trivia nights and a live podcast taping of Copper & Heat featuring local pastry chef Gabriella Martinez of Libre. 

It’s all the perfect blend of casual fun and genuine connection—exactly what we love to see in our city.

But let’s talk business, because that’s where Roux truly shines. This event isn’t just a party; it’s a mission-driven partnership with our very own VIDA Member, Xcelerate Women. Xcelerate’s entire purpose is to help women-owned businesses grow, scale and thrive, and teaming up with Roux means giving a crucial platform to the innovators in the food and beverage industry. 

No matter your professional background, the educational weekend panels are where you’ll want to be. The lineup includes two marquee discussions—a chefs panel and a food-makers panel—featuring powerhouse entrepreneurs like Junea Rocha of Brazi Bites and Christy Goldsby of Honey Mama’s. We cannot wait to be inspired by their stories. 

And speaking of powerhouses, you might just run into one of our favorite VIDA friends while you’re there. Our own Founder and CEO, Melanie Marconi, will be there in support and collaboration with the event! You can catch her at the Friday night dinner (the Oct. 10 gathering at Farag’s/Güero) and on the Sunday Special Sauce panel, where the business chatter is sure to be enlightening and motivating. Be sure to stop and say hello!

Roux is making it easy to support the amazing women of Portland with a citywide map of participating women-owned businesses going live the week of the event. Go grab your tickets, mark your calendar for a week of delicious inspiration and let’s all show up to support these incredible entrepreneurs. 

We’ll see you there!