Sure, there’s no shortage of stuff to look forward NEXT WEEK at the 2013 Specialty Coffee Association of America Event, happening in Boston, Massachusetts April 11th-14th. The showroom floor! The lectures! The pop-ups! The new gear! The classes! The awards! And of course, the unparalleled battle royale of the United States Barista Championship.

SCAA 2013 is chockablock with merriment, and we’ve put together an uninhibited guide to the very best in parties, soirees, happenings, be-seens and be-ins. We’ve got your weekend in Boston covered, but there’s always a chance we left something out. Is there a sweet party not yet listed? Write to us at BostonParties@sprudge.com and we’ll update lickity-split.

But for now, we party!

thursday

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SCAA Opening Ceremonies
Thursday, April 11th – 5:30PM
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (415 Summer Street)

Do join us at 5:30PM at the Boston Convention Center event hub for the SCAA’s annual Opening Ceremonies presentation.

Official SCAA Welcome Reception
Thursday, April 11th – 7PM
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (415 Summer Street)

Opening Ceremonies lead directly into the SCAA’s official welcome reception, which is always a fun kick off to the week’s festivities, and conveniently located on-site at the Convention Center event hub. Expect a cash bar, people from around the world waiting in line for said cash bar, hotly contested hors d’oeuvres, and the merry buzz of a thousand polyglot conversations breezing past your ears. Who made the trip? You mean he’s not here?! Where are we going next?

This year’s welcome reception is being held in conjunction with the 25th anniversary celebration for Coffee Kids. We’ll have more for you on Coffee Kids and their historic milestone in an upcoming feature.

But don’t forget about…

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Boston TNT hosted by Espresso Parts
Thursday, April 11 – 7:00PM – 11:00PM
Voltage Coffee & Art (295 3rd St. Cambridge)

Hoo-daddy! When the international intrigue and espirit de corps of the Welcome Reception reach their inevitable boiling point, hop a taxi cab (or use this handy MBTA public transit trip planner) and jet on over to what’s sure to be one of the biggest and best latte art throwdowns for all of 2013. This event is a collabo between Espresso Parts, TNT NW, and Boston TNT,ย and is being held at Voltage Coffee & Art (295 3rd St. Cambridge). There will be beer on hand from Holyoke, Massachusetts’ own High & Mighty Beer Co., plus more brew from Samuel Adams and promised “finger foods.” There’s even an exclusive Espresso Parts swag bag for the first 40 guests! Get there early if you want to sign up & throw down, cos it’s gonna be a scene.

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friday

 

SCAA Awards Reception
5:30PM – 7:00PM
Boston Convention & Exhibition Centerย (415 Summer Street)

Awards will be presented for Lifetime Achievement, Sustainability, Outstanding Volunteer, and several other categories. Your own Sprudge Editorsย are being honored as Distinguished Publishersย by the SCAA, which we’re understandably very excited about. Come watch us make a little speech!

Counter Culture Coffee Mega-Bash
Friday, April 12 – 7:00PM – 11:00PM
Counter Culture Coffee Boston Training Center (374 Somerville Ave, Somerville, MA)

These ARE the droids you’re looking for! Counter Culture Coffee, Prima Coffee Equipment, La Marzocco USA and Sprudge.com bring you a shindig of memorable proportions at the still-brand-new CCC Training Center in nearby Somerville. Get ready for plentiful cocktails (and hopefully some nice Scotch, wink wink), foodstuffs from the awesome-sounding Sofra Bakery & Cafe, a sure-to-be-scandalous La Marzocco Linea Love photo booth, and who knows what else. This party will feature the exclusive 2013 SCAA Boston DJ set by Your Sprudge Editors, so bring your dancing shoes and a pocketful of reckless abandon. You know who you are.

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Also happening that very same evening…

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Equal Exchange & Harpoon Brewery Party
Friday, April 12 – 6:00PM – ???
Harpoon Brewery (306 Northern Avenue)

Beer folks are buzzing about the Harpoon 100 Barrel Series #44 Coffee Porter – made with Equal Exchange’s El Triunfo from Chiapas, Mexico. You can try it for yourself at Equal Exchange’s party at Harpoon’s Boston location – just a few short blocks away from the convention. Delicious!

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Coffee Soiree with Equator Coffees & Teas
Friday, April 12 – 7:00PM -10:00PM
The South End Buttery’s New Location (37 Clarendon)

Coffee from Equator Coffes & Teas, delicious pastries from South End Buttery, wines and spirits from M.S Walker, foodie goodies from Paul W. Marks, and a latte art throwdown. Plus lots of interesting people from around the world and a chance to see South End Buttery’s brand new location. Folks interested in throwing down should get there early. YOLO!

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saturday

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La Marzocco, Cafe Imports, Barismo and George Howell Mega Party
Saturday, April 13 – 5:00PM – 9:00PM
Space With A Soul (281 Summer Street, 7th Floor)

This is gonna be a fun one. Local Boston roaster stars George Howell Coffee and Barismo have teamed up with Cafe Imports and La Marzocco USA to throw the most necessary party in all the land: the Saturday Night Pre-Finals Chill-Out. It’s happening just blocks from the Convention Center, it runs on a most reasonable 5pm-9pm schedule, and it’ll feature great local beers and ciders from a plethora of Boston brew-gooders. Parties like this are so important, falling as they do knee-deep in the maw and madness of an otherwise wild SCAA / USBC calendar. Go make some deals! Get that business card you’ve been meaning to pick – or the phone number, for that matter. What’s the over-under on a re-Pete?

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sunday

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Natvia Sweet Spot Extravaganza
Sunday, April 14 – 7:00PM – 12:00AM
Artists For Humanity Epicenter (100 W. 2nd Street)

We’ve been attending and covering Natvia‘s massive events for several years now – they’ve even got their own correspondent – and if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that these parties are special. Nobody goes all out like the mad Aussies at Natvia, and their first-ever US Barista Championship celebration promises to be a truly memorable evening. The party is speakeasy-themed, which means craft cocktails, loose hips, and plenty of costumed revelry. Be sure to dress in your finest – we expect nothing less.

GO TO THIS PARTY! They’re unique and wild and seriously too much fun. Tickets are totally free, but you should still sign up in advance at the official Sweet Fantasy Party website.

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No foolies, if we left out your party, write to us post haste at BostonParties@sprudge.com and we’ll update this feature!

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