A Feast Reborn Serves Annual Autumnal Banquet

As autumn approaches, there's one festival that seems to mark the beginning of the season: A Feast Reborn, taking place this year in the Goblet's Diabolos neighborhood this coming Fifth Umbral Moon. This marks the fifth year that A Feast Reborn has been delighting the taste buds of Eorzea and beyond, and with representation from places like Spice & Miqo'te, High Nunh, Puku Pizza and more. But AFR is more than just delicious food and fun, and festival founder Nyte Snow is happily standing behind the members of her team helping her put the festival together this year.

“I really need to shout out the AFR team. When I first started this journey five years ago, this time of year was very slow for me. Work was dead, so I had lots of planning time. It's why I originally opened Abiocco in autumn to begin with. But my life circumstances have changed and it is now the busiest, most complex time of the year. Last year, I thought it was going to be the last year because I couldn't balance life and the festival. But then, Si'kan stepped forward, and Vesper, and Shi - countless others who have carried the load. In the past, it was my festival. This year, it's their festival - they have done everything, and I've only been involved peripherally. If it wasn't for them, we would have wrapped. I also want to note that Key isn't with us this year due to constraints in her life and we miss her terribly. She's been a part since day one and I feel her absence every day.”

Upon being asked where A Feast Reborn got its start, though, Nyte recalled a scene from her youth that inspired her.

“There’s this festival in the city ... It used to close down streets downtown and there’d be booths and food and music. The atmosphere was electric. I wanted to try to replicate that feeling, using the festival to promote new and established venues. It was also our way of giving back. Instead of holding an anniversary of Abbiocco’s opening, we gave back to the community that had made a year of Abbiocco possible,” said Snow. “As we’ve grown we’ve had time to adapt to what does and does not work as well as visit other markets and events to build relationships and learn new things and new ideas. The community can be so big if you don’t build up walls.”

When asked about what kind of venues would make a solid fit for A Feast Reborn, Nyte had this to say:

"The key element of AFR is community. Supporting each other, giving a helping hand to lift others up and succeed. It's not about putting up walls or making it challenging," Snow said. "Any food or drink venue that is about creating spaces where people can socialize, enjoy food, and continue to grow ... is a good fit."

But when discussing venues Snow was far more specific when she turned to the types of venues that were instead not suitable for the festival.

"[It's} not to say other venues don't have a place in the community. Fight clubs, dance clubs, adult-oriented venues," Snow said, "But this is a family friendly food festival that puts community ... at its forefront."

Among the offered activities that will be on offer will be pudding wrestling (not vanilla pudding this year, Snow claims), “The Spice is Right, our spicy food eating challenge, returns. … Endo returns with his cooking show, but we've also added an Iron Chef style of cooking challenge and Mechanical Morbull Riding on Sunday. Of course, we have our raffles and giveaways as always, and our 50/50 draw. … Tickets are 10,000 gil each and at the end of the festival, we do a draw. 50 per cent of the ticket sales goes to the winner, and 50 per cent goes to the festival to help cover the costs involved.”

But, as always, if people were wondering, yes, AFR's adorable chocobo mascots are returning this year! Snow had this to say about their creation:

“Animated princesses. They’re basically princesses in bird form! We needed a way to have helper staff really visible and I was watching tomestone videos and it was about party disasters. I put the idea together, and then the amazing chocobos gave them such great personalities from my brief notes.”

But you might want to watch yourself around at least one of them...

“As for this year, expect tanks, fireworks, cannons and more. Egward is one cracked egg. If only he had a calming influence, like a sister.”

A Feast Reborn's schedule and further details can be found here.