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| - The Annual Toronto Vegetarian Food Festival is easily my favourite event of the year. It's in its 27th year, after starting as a small fair at George Brown College in the '80s. It draws 20,000+ people to the Harbourfront Centre over the course of the weekend and exposes people to the fact that cruelty-free, plant-based diets are not just healthy but also delicious and easy!
There's loads of free speakers on a wide range of subjects from weight-loss and nutrition to the sociological aspects of meat-consumption, which is my area of interest. Last year I took in two talks by Carol J. Adams, noted professor and author of 'The Sexual Politics of Meat', on feminism and how marketing of meat for consumption intermingles with the subjugation of women's bodies as 'meat' in advertising. It was very stimulating and thought-provoking and I didn't have to pay American university tuition just to hear it.
The cooking demos are all free as well. I've enjoyed the 'Vegan Iron Chef' competition two years in a row but this year I'm planning to see some 'educational' one's like how to make 5-step vegan fudge and how to properly cook leafy greens like kale and swiss-chard (I haven't a clue on the latter).
Of course, the best part of a Vegetarian Food Festival is the food. They have everything from cupcakes and ice-cream to raw food, dim sum, Jamaican, Indian, and so much more. There's also loads of free sample to be had like kiwis, milk alternatives, granola bars, protein powder just off the top of my head. I'll probably take in 1.5x the caloric intake I usually eat but I won't gain a pound because nearly everything at the festival is vegan.
Whether you're a vegan, vegetarian or just a veg-curious omnivore, you should pay the Food Fest a visit this weekend. If you're thinking 'this isn't my bag, I eat meat and I don't like vegetables.' Think again, the Food Fest is for everyone and can help you reduce your meat intake and up your vegetable count for improved health. Everyone knows eating lots of vegetables is good for your health and heart but a lot of people don't even know how to cook them. This is the place to find out so you can have a longer, healthier life and reduce your impact on the environment! If Bill Clinton can do it, you can too: http://sanjayguptamd.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/29/sanjay-gupta-reports-the-last-heart-attack/
You can also check out and support all the great community vendors, like the animal rescue groups such as Toronto Cat Rescue, Annex Cat Rescue, North Toronto Cat Rescue, Ferret Rescue, and Rabbit Rescue. There's also activists groups like Sea Shepherd, Farm Sanctuary and others.
And of course, there's Yelp. This is where I got my first introduction to Yelp and my very own Yelp re-useable swag bag from Kat F.
Hope to see you there!
Val G.
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