NYC Vegetarian Food Festival

This past weekend, the third annual NYC Vegetarian Food Festival was held in the Big Apple. The festival features booths from multiple vegetarian food companies and restaurants (providing samples to all attending), education on vegetarian / animal welfare information, organic/ vegan clothing, jewelry, cooking demos, live entertainment and guest speakers.

This wonderful festival caters to all ages and raises awareness of healthy, cruelty-free foods and lifestyles.

Sarah Gross and Nira Paliwoda, in addition to being founders of U.S. Veg Corp, are active members of the local vegetarian and green movement. They co-founded the NYC Vegetarian Food Festival.

Sarah Gross is also founder of Rescue Chocolate, which donates 100% of net profits to animal rescue organizations around the country.

Over the weekend, on three different stages, presentations and speeches took place. The place was full. Among the many speakers were Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram “The Fully Raw Vegan”; Matt Frazier “No Meat Athlete”; Gene Baur- co-founder and president of Farm Sanctuary and author of the book “Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds about Animals and Food”.

It was amazing to try all the vegan food, which also included a selection of gluten free choices (in my case I had to go with this option, since I can’t let the gluten in my body). My personal all time favorites were Dandies Vegan/Gluten Free Marshmallows, Raw Revolution Bars and Rescue Chocolates. (I just love sweets).

One of my favorite booths was hosted by Wired Up Creations, a one of a kind jewelry company. All of their jewelry is handmade with vegetables from local upstate New York farms. The coating is produced from beans and nuts. Not only are the products non-toxic, they are also incredibly beautiful. No one would ever guess they are made from vegetables.

The list of exhibitors is long, but the festival wouldn’t miss organization like PETA, Woodstock Animal Sanctuary, Catskill Animal Sanctuary, Compassion Over Killing and many more.

There was also one attender who was getting a lot of attention from everybody. It was a beagle dog named Juno. She is a rescued dog from a research facility where she along with 119 other beagles were used in testing for cosmetics and household items. When the lab was closed in 2010 people from Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, UT and Pets Alive Animal Sanctuary in Middletown, NY stepped in and rescued all the dogs. Now Juno has a loving family and her owner Kate Aubry brought her to the festival to spread the awareness about laboratory animals. Juno became also a certified therapy dog with Therapy Dogs International.

Two amazing days spend at the NY Vegetarian Food Festival for sure taught me and others a lot. As a vegan and animal lover it is an event I will definitely come back to next year.

Photos:

1. Sarah Gross - co-founders of the NYC Vegetarian Food festival and  founder of Rescue Chocolate.

2.Vegetable Jewelry by Wired Up Creations

3. Matt Frazier- No Meat Athlete.

4. Rescued Beagle Juno gets attension and love from a girl.

5. Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram- The Fully Raw Vegan.

6. Gene Baur- co-founder and president of Farm Sanctuary and author of the book: “Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds about Animals and Food”.

7. Kids doing crafts.

8. Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary.

9. Raw Revolution bars.

10. Ellen Jaffe Jones - author,speaker,personal trainer, singing her book "Eat Vegan on 4$ a Day"