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| - Let me preface this review by saying that a lot of the problems I experienced at this event could be solved simply by booking a bigger venue. That said, there were a number of buzzkills for me at this event. Which is a shame because this is an event that should practically sell itself to valley foodies and the vegetarian/vegan community in particular. This year's fest did have some interesting food offerings and unique vendors, but my two biggest beefs (okay sorry, forget I said beef) with this event came down to two main areas. Logistics and value. Neither of which I felt were in abundance this go around.
As with other food festivals I goto, I got there at opening. There was actually a VIP crowd there at 10am, but I came with the general admission crowd at 11am. I always try to arrive early knowing that the crowds will eventually swarm. The VIP crowd this year was fairly substantial so there really was no avoiding the lines even at the general admission opening. When 11am did finally roll around, the line didn't move. Instead they directed everyone to get their armbands and check in. Why Davisson Entertainment (the event's promoter) didn't just have everyone check in early and stroll in thereafter is beyond me. But it was another 15 minutes before I finally got inside.
Besides a number of restaurants, caterers, and food trucks, the event also had clothing vendors, home decor vendors, live music, a beer garden, a kids play area and a cooking demo area. While the variety of things to see and do were fairly abundant, the setup was really off. This is where the venue problem comes in. The main hub of the event took place in a narrow parking lot next door to the Phoenix Theatre and Art Museum. On the side street next door were the food trucks. Then you had to walk west through to the main courtyard area for additional vendors (assuming you could find the signs pointing you there). In the courtyard area, there was a demo kitchen on your right (though you could easily miss it), and a REALLY narrow row of vendors stretching along the courtyard. The biggest thing missing from this event is space. Space for the vendors to form lines, space to move around even in the face of lines, as well as space to sit at a table and relax.
Let's talk about the value aspect. $25 got me general admission to the event. Having been to a wide variety of food events Downtown, I'm pretty used to an admission price of $25 getting me at least some inclusive items. A few of the food vendors were giving some free samples (including a delightful Ethiopian sampler plate from Cafe Lalibela). But most food vendors didn't have free samples and instead sold food items for an average of $5-$6 each. Given that I only had $20 to spend, that was a disappointment. The majority of food festivals I've been to are such that $20 would buy me enough food and drink to make me full and happy. In many cases the price of admission buys some or all of the food I can eat.
What food I did get was pretty solid. Among the food items I got were a raspberry lemon scone from Pomegranate Cafe, a Bao (or steamed bun) from Hot Bamboo, a cauliflower taco from The Coronado, and a ranch wrap from The Cutting Board Bakery. My favorite was probably the steamed bun, which was more of a dumpling stuffed with a variety of vegetables, garlic, soy sauce, rice wine, and sesame oil. There were other vendors that I would've liked to try, but by 12:30pm the lines were getting so long in so many places I had to pick and choose my spots. And because of the narrow vendor setups, it was often impossible to tell where the lines began.
So to the PHX Vegan Food Festival organizers, here's my two cents for improving this event. First and foremost, move the event. Hance Park would be ideal as its just a few blocks away, has plenty of space for the vendors (and the lines that inevitably ensue), and could encompass all of them in one square space instead of separating them into 3-4 different spaces as it is right now. Secondly, make the value of admission go farther. I would even suggest raising the price of admission and tell all food vendors to offer at least one item as a free sample. Or even offer an all you can eat admission option. I can assure you many festival goers would happily pay extra for that trade off. And lastly, put out more tables and chairs. If you have the event at Hance, you'd have plenty of space for this and festival goers (particularly those that arrive in large groups) will thank you for it.
I sincerely hope the event improves. I would love to try more of the tasty offerings, take more people with me, and discover more about the valley's vegan food scene. I'm a carnivore, but I've had excellent vegan offerings throughout town. Let's make sure this event is one that even more valley vegetarians and carnivores alike can partake in to enjoy the meat free wonders of the world.
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