On October 13th the Santa Clara Fairgrounds held Boba Fest. For a $25 ticket, you could have unlimited access to boba milk tea from a variety of local business. On the day of the event, there was a giant line to get into the venue, which surprised us all. After waiting about 20 minutes to get in, we had to wait to get our drink samples which made it difficult to try all the vendors they had to offer. Here are the stores we did get to sample:
Tea Village
The first place we visited was Tea Village. I tried the original black milk tea. We gravitated toward this place because it was one of the shortest lines but were pleased by the flavors and right balance of sweetness of the drink.
Factory Tea Bar
Factory Tea Bar, or as my friends from Socal say, FTB, is a hometown favorite in the San Gabriel Valley. I tried the the Coachella lemonade which was flavorful, light and refreshing. I also tried the green milk tea which was a nice balance of sweetness and green tea flavor.
Boba Drive
Earl grey milk tea flavor is one of my all time favorites so I was excited to try boba drives fresh brewed earl grey milk tea. My friends found the earl grey flavor too overpowering but I enjoy a strong tea flavor so I liked it. If you like a subtle taste in your milk tea, this drink probably isn’t for you. Their location in Tasman Drive is not yet open so the event was a great way to get boba lovers hyped about their grand opening.
Teaspoon
Teaspoon was by far my favorite of the day. The wait was one of the longest but well worth it. I sampled the liquid gold milk tea which is a fusion of honey and oolong. The tea flavors were present and the drink was sweet without being overpowering. They were constantly making fresh boba behind the scenes so the boba was warm and chewy. Each station had a different marketing strategy but Teaspoon’s seemed to be the most effective. In order to spin their prize wheel, you had to follow their instagram. I found their drinks so addictive that I visited their location in Santa Clara (only 10 minutes away from SCU’s campus) later that week and tried the peach oolong milk tea with 50% sweet.
Eye fini Tea
The last station we visited was Eye fini Tea. An interesting treat they offered was frozen milk tea in little zip lock pouches which tasted like a black tea popsicle. In addition, I sampled their passion fruit iced tea, which was refreshing and flavorful without tasting like syrup.
TIP: If your goal is to maximize the money spent on a ticket, I recommend purchasing a mason jar. If you buy an official Boba Fest mason jar, each vendor will fill it up completely with the drink of your choice. If not, you’ll get sample sizes from each stand.
Overall, everyone operating the stands were incredibly friendly and eager to share their products. Despite the the long waits, the event offered live music and various photo booths to help capture these boba filled moments.
If you’re new to an area and need your boba, I would definitely recommend trying to find a boba festival near you. It is a quick, convenient way to try the boba places around you without having to uber around town. From the event, I discovered some of my new favorite boba places that I intend to go frequently during my time here in Santa Clara.