Every week at both the shops public cuppings are held for anyone interested in learning about the coffee we serve. They are relatively informal affairs but there will always be someone to walk newcomers through the experience. There's no cost.

SCHEDULE:
Forest Park - every Sunday at 2:30PM

Other, employee, cuppings take place at both shops throughout the week. They are focused less on the mechanics of cupping and more on the qualities of the coffees in question. Anyone, however, is welcome to join in.

The Forest Park location hosts artists from around the region and around the country to display their works. Each artist is given a month to display their painting, sculpture or other media thorughout the shop. We welcome the well known and encourage the not-yet well known to showcase at Coffee & Crema. Email us at "submissions" at "coffeeandcrema.com" for more information.

CURRENT EXHIBITION:

Cassia Leidigh:
Cassia will be displaying portraits this month. They are gigantic faces and they are pretty cool! She will be holding a reception Saturday the 6th at the Forest Park location so come by and meet her.

You can see her work through the month of February.

Music has been the blood of community since humans uttered their first groan to the setting sun or rising moon and we honor that tradition here. Check here for more information about open-mic nights or special performances. If you'd like to perform here feel free to contact us at "submissions" at "coffeeandcrema.com" for more information.

The last Thursday of every month we will host a latte art competition for anyone that feels they've got the nerve to compete hand to hand with their fellow baristas. The purpose of the hoedown is to bring the local coffee community together and have fun at the same time. Anyone is welcome to compete, so long as they have at least some experience with a commercial espresso machine.

To the winner goes prizes and a pot of gold!

The way it works is pretty simple:

• Be at the Forest Park Coffee & Crema by 7:30 PM.
• Pay $5.00 to enter yourself into a competition bracket.
• When your turn comes, pour the bestest art you can manage.
• Your competitor pours the bestest art he can manage.
• Judges quickly decide a winner, who goes on to the next bracket.
• In the next round, cups get smaller and, if you make it to the next round, smaller still. If we go through all the sizes but have more competitors, we'll start the cup sizes over.
• In the final round the last two baristas face off. One walks away with hoedown fame and glory.

And everyone walks away hopefully having made a friend or two.

Don't worry about pulling shots, finding an appropriate cup or polishing up your veteran frothing pitcher because all that will be provided for you. Don't bring milk or espresso either. All you need to do is show up, froth and pour. You get one pitcher and one go at frothing. We'll pull you the shots and put them into a cup for you. That should make things go fast and keep things fun.

The drinks made during the competition will be given to the crowd, who will throw a dollar donation (or more if they desire) into a jar meant for whatever local charity we will be sponsoring at the time.

if you have any questions email "info" at "coffeeandcrema.com."