Winter Fun

Soup Fest is back in Somerville

The brothy celebration will take place Sunday, Feb. 1.

Soup Fest will take place on February 1 from 12-4 p.m. at Bow Market in Somerville. Photo by Cala on Unsplash

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Strega Nona fall was trending back in 2024. Now, it’s time to bring it back for a 2026 Strega Nona winter.

Bow Market in Somerville is bringing Soup Fest back for a third year of broth-focused fun.

The brothy celebration, which takes place yearly during the warm-stew-necessitating season of the year, will be on February 1 from 12-4 p.m. This year is the biggest Soup Fest yet with 250 tickets up for grabs.

Tickets are $40 each and will guarantee attendees a “Soup Passport” that will allow fans to receive a 4 oz. serving of soup from any of the 12 different vendors.

“Everyone loves this day, “ said Melissa Stefanini, owner of Buenas and Homie Goods, “Everyone loves soup.”

This is Stefanini’s second year organizing Soup Fest, and said Buenas will be contributing Sancocho to the event.

“I am from Miami, and I grew up eating it a lot. I grew up with a lot of Colombian friends and eating it at their houses,” she said. “And my kitchen team is from Colombia, so it’s just a natural fit.”

Rebel Rebel, Bow market’s dimly lit natural wine bar, will offer “wine soup” aka mulled wine as an option for event-goers. Although the “wine soup” inclusion started as a joke, according to owner and wine director Lauren Friel, who said it will be cozy and comforting, with a slightly spicy finish.

The Rebel Rebel mulled wine will be made using another local product – Curio Spice Co.’s Flame Mulling Kit. The blend – which includes a touch of hot chile – used alongside a nonacidic red wine, sugar, and citric will create a hand-thawing beverage for the 21 and up crowd.

“I feel like it’s this time of year where you feel like you don’t see anyone for months and months, and then we all emerge in spring, like little hibernating animals, poking our heads out for the first time in six months,” said Friel about the event. “And so it’s just such a nice opportunity to get the community out and together during a time when you know we’re normally a little more isolated.”

Other soups that event-goers can look forward to include maca’s Century Egg Congee, Nibble Kitchen’s Sopa de Pueblo, and Viet Citron’s 48 hours phở broth with braised brisket and crispy fried dough.

Soup Fest is also an opportunity for locals to get a taste of their favorite Bow Market chef’s off-menu creations as the soups served for the event are usually not served the rest of the year, according to Zola Colemen, events and partnerships director for Bow Market.

“All of our food vendors just get to make a soup that reminds them of home, or a soup that a mom or their cousin makes or a friend of theirs,” she said. “None of these soups typically are available on another day of the year, so it feels pretty special in that way.”