The Best Three Days of the Year - The Vegetarian Food Fair Turns 24

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Posted by Rebecca Zamon in events, events upcoming, vegetarian on September 5, 2008 at 2:37 pm

 

Some days, it feels as though there’s hardly a way to disentangle one food trend from another - but fortunately, between locavores, flexitarians and those who staunchly eat organically grown produce, one long-held umbrella category will always welcome each of these, and it is all of these people who are welcomed to the Vegetarian Food Fair this weekend.

Now in its 24th year, the Vegetarian Food Fair has grown from granola roots to a Whole Foods-sponsored extravaganza, attracting over 125 exhibitors (80% of whom are representing food companies or restaurants) over three veg-filled days. “Vegetarians and vegans have become a really attractive market,†explains Miskha Alarcon, Food Fair Coordinator and staff member at the Toronto Vegetarian Association, who put on the annual event. “This year, we’re welcoming the most sponsors ever.â€

Themed days are one of the changes this year - not to deter anyone who doesn’t fall into a specific category, of course, but Friday theme is Rock Out, with Dame, an all-girl band performing alongside a stunt bike team from Cycle Solutions. Saturday stands for Diversity, showcasing the wide expanse of vegetarianism and veganism (from tapas to fast food), and Sunday is for Family, including children’s performers and kid-driven demonstrations and activities.

But what of the political aspects of eating vegetarian/vegan - namely, the animal rights angle, the environmental impact, the health reasons? The food fair, as set out by its own goals, is there to celebrate, educate and bring the community together, not to lecture or persuade. That said, there will be numerous exhibitors and expert speakers on hand, like registered holistic nutritionist Jae Steele, an advocate of veganism; and Gene Baur, president and co-founder of Farm Sanctuary, an organization that rescues animals from factory farms, to get those ideas across. The Fair also partnered with Green

Shift, offering a rebate to exhibitors who used the company’s biodegradable packaging products, to up the environmentally-friendly quotient for free samples and other uses.

And the samples - because frankly, that is what we’re all there for - will be aplenty. Of the hundred or so food vendors and exhibitors (the World Café food tent will be overtaken by King’s Café, Magic Oven and Veggie Paradise, to name a few), excitement is building around cultish Garden Protein (purveyors of mock meat chicken and beef), The Cupcake Tree (whose vegan delights come in all sorts

of sweet flavours) and local favourite ShaSha Bread. Look for veggie cooking demonstrations by TV chef Howard Dubrovsky, The Big Carrot’s Nettie Cronish and vegan cookbook author Siue Moffat, complete with yummy dishes to try at the end.

Torontonians can start off the school year with an education in the veggie world, whether they’re seeking out organic breads, vegan skincare lotions or even just advice on how to offer moral support for the vegetarians in their lives. After all, as one of my vegan friends put it, “It’s the best three days of the year. I don’t even have to look at the labels - I know I can eat everything that’s there.†Thankfully, that goes for pretty much all of us.

The Vegetarian Food Fair runs from September 5th to 7th at Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queen’s Quay West. Admission is free.

 

 

Peter vv