VegFest London Is An Incredible Place To Be Inspired, Learn, Connect, And Eat Delicious Food.
VegFest London is an exciting festival that informs, inspires, and celebrates plant-based lifestyles as well as sustainable and healthy living. This fest is great for vegetarians, vegans, and anyone who lives plant-based lifestyles to see what delicious options are available to them in the London area, but it’s also an amazing opportunity for those who are curious and want to learn more about it. Part of the vision for VegFest London is to grow the awareness about the impacts of our food choices on both animals and the earth.
VegFest London offers up a lot of delicious food. If you’re not really convinced that anything could be as delicious as meat, then let VegFest London change your mind. They have everything from body-nourishing health food, to deliciously indulgent junk food, and all of it is kind to the planet and kind to animals. For those who already enjoy a meatless life, VegFest London is a great place one-stop shop for all of your favourite London Ontario plant-based foods. London, Ontario has a lot of delicious things to offer for sustainable and healthy living, so come hungry!
There are also a lot of product vendors and services at VegFest London for people to explore. Health is so much more than just eating well, and if you’re looking for vegan alternatives to a lot of the animal-tested, chemical-filled products that are out there, then check out the amazing array of vendors at VegFest London. If you’re wondering about bringing the kids, rest assured that VegFest London is a family friendly event. Kids can learn about living a lifestyle that keeps the planet and animals happy and healthy, all while still getting to use great products and eat delicious food.
VegFest London is so much more than just a festival. It’s a festival that inspires and informs. It’s a festival that is all about building up community and compassion. It’s all about sustainable living and show that plant-based lifestyles are not only good for you and the planet, but are also really awesome! We don’t know what options are out there and available to us because the market is saturated with non-sustainable and non-planet friendly products. But alternatives are out there, and not only that, but the products are really awesome. You don’t have to sacrifice quality, functionality or even taste in order to be part of sustainable and plant-based living.
Details
This year’s VegFest London is going to take place on Saturday, November 10, 2018. It’s from 10am-6pm, so there is lots of time to see all of the incredible vendors see what’s on stage, and eat delicious food. The festival takes place in Old East Village, at the Western Fair Agriplex building.
Admission to get in the doors is only $5 and because this is a family friendly event, kids are totally free to get in!
There are over 150 vendors at the event, so there is plenty to check out. From shopping and eating to learning and connecting as a community, you’re going to want to check out everything that VegFest London has to offer. There is also a photobooth, sponsored by Purdy Natural and Booch Organic Kombucha, so make sure to stop by and take a photo. The event is using the hashtag #vegfestldnont.
Vendors
Guests are going to be able to find amazingly delicious food at any of the 4 food trucks and the 53 food and drink vendors. Keep Christmas in mind as you look through the 50 shopping vendors and 10 nutrition and health vendors. There are also 7 sanctuaries and animal rescues and 14 groups and organizations.
Schedule
Carrot Stage
11am-12pm: Living a compassionate life and advocating for animals (at any age)
Hear from an 11 year old animal rights activist who has given a TEDx talk at age ten and who decided for herself to start eating vegan at the young age of five. She attends protests and demonstrations to try and get the word out there about living a compassionate life.
12:30pm-1:30pm: The role of farm animal sanctuaries
Learn from Susie Coston, who has been working with animals used in food production for over 23 years. It’s easy to think of animals in a lump and not as individuals, but Susie strives to get us to see the animals as the complex and unique individuals that they are.
2pm-3pm: Animal Law 101: How we can all be legal advocates for animals
Canada has some of the worst animal protection laws in all of the Western world. Learn from Camille Labchuk, is the executive director of Animal Justice, and a leading animal rights lawyer about what we can do to speak up for the creatures who cannot speak up for themselves.
3:30pm-4:30pm: Food choices can either poison or promote life
John Lewis was 315lbs when he was just 13, but worked hard and started choosing health to lose the weight. His mission now is to prevent obesity through education, physical activity and plant based lifestyles.
4:30pm-6pm: Justin Plet performing a great mix of canadiana, current Indie, 70s folk, and music to sing along to!
Sit back and enjoy the beautiful live performance and catchy music!
Beet Stage
10:30pm -11:30pm: Eating to be kinder to the earth
Caterina Lindman will take you through the reasons why whole-food plant-based diets are so essential for the health and sustainability of our dear Earth.
12pm-pm: Eating plant based on a budget
A lot of people think that you can’t have a healthy, nutritious, plant-based diet while still pinching pennies, but Toni Okamoto, blogger and author, will show you just how wrong that thinking is. Learn how to cut out meat and eat healthy without breaking the bank.
1:30pm-2:30pm: Cooking demo – Aquafaba is the new miracle egg replacer
Chef Yoda has all the low-down on the newest and greatest egg replacer: Aquafaba, which is a bean water. Chef yoda will demonstrate how to replace eggs in both sweet and savory dishes right there on stage while she informs you all about this new product.
3pm-4pm: 101 Reasons to go vegan
James Wildman uses humor in this presentation to look through all of the benefits that plant-based diets have on not only us and our health, but also on the earth, the world, and of course the animals. This presentation will empower people to make the choice that right for them and the world.
4:30pm-5:30pm: Cultivate connection, engender empathy, prepare for peace
Amanda Barker is passionate about changing our perspectives from the framework of punishment and rewards to a framework of empathy and compassion. She’s passionate about inspiring others to start to look at life through the lens of meeting needs and living life through empathy.
Children’s Area
This family-friendly event even has a space for kids! There’s face painting and activities by ReBirth Wellness Centre.
Sponsors
The Boombox Bakeshop
The Boombox Bakeshop is all about serving up delicious veg-friendly baked goods and coffee in this unique music-themed bakery and cafe.They specialize in baking incredibly delicious vegan and even gluten free vegan delights. Anyone looking for incredible cupcakes, popovers and mini pies but want gluten-free and vegan options should check out this bakery.
Not only are their baked goods delicious, but they also support local businesses. They use fresh and organic produce and work with local farmers and distributors. Even their coffee is roasted locally and is specially blended for their shop, so that you get a unique coffee experience there.
They also have a record swap and drop there for those who love music.
Plant Matter Kitchen
The Plant Matter Kitchen is a one of a kind restaurant in London, Ontario that is all about being local-conscious and uses flavours from around the globe. They take healthy, plant-based meals seriously and create incredible flavours and inspired menus. They have an incredible fusion menu that nourishes your body. They use cruelty-free, locally sourced, and organic ingredients.
Purdy Natural
Your skin deserves the best. Purdy Natural’s motto is “if you can’t eat it, then don’t put it on your skin.” They are an all natural skin care line that only uses the highest quality ingredients that are grown straight from the earth. Their ingredients are fragrance and dye free. They also support local businesses, which is always a bonus.
Rebirth Wellness Centre
The ReBirth Wellness Centre believes that when a baby is born, a mother is born too and mothers need support and place to help with the ups and the downs and the overwhelming days of motherhood. ReBirth has health and wellness professionals that are dedicated to helping moms with motherhood. Services that they provide include registered massage therapy, physiotherapy, chiropractic, naturopathic, acupuncture, reiki, doula, counselling, breastfeeding support, yoga, fitness, stroller bootcamp, childbirth education, and more!
Benevolent Barn
Yoga and goats go together like peanut butter and jelly. The Benevolent Barn is a yoga and farm sanctuary. They provide restorative yoga sessions, self care retreats, and even mini retreats. Not only that, but they also raise money for rescue animals like goats and pigs.
Booch
Booch creates hand crafted kombucha made from local, organic and fair trade ingredients. Their company promotes health and community. Their drinks have health benefits and promotes gut health. It also has a smooth and refreshing finish. Their flavours range from raspberry lemonade and chaga chai to greens and old fashioned.
History
In 2013 Krista Kankula, the VegFest London’s founder, attended Niagara VegFest and Toronto Veg Food Fest. That is when she had the idea to bring something like that to London. With a passion for making a kinder and healthier world, she created VegFest London. It’s an annual festival that is organized and run by an incredible group of volunteers who are dedicated to making it an awesome event year after year. The volunteers help behind the scenes, but also on the day of the festival, they help to hand out swag bags, sell merchandise, support speakers, assist in the children’s area, take photos, and even dress up as friendly vegetables. The goal of the festival is to educate and showcase alternative and plant-based food, health, and beauty products that are all vegan. Every year they get experts to speak, give live cooking demonstrations, and to attend the resource area of the festival so that Londoners can get informed and understand the facts of plant-based lifestyles.
Since 2013, which was the first ever VegFest London, over 23,500 people have attended the festival, and they’ll continue to spread the word and get more people interested in attending the incredibly informative (and delicious) event! If you’re already living a sustainable, plant-based lifestyle, if you’re wondering what the big fuss is about, or if you’re interested in potentially starting a compassionate-drive meat-free lifestyle, then make sure that you catch VegFest London. You’ll get the chance to see what plant-based options are actually out there for you, eat delicious food, learn from incredible people, and connect with a community rooted in compassion and sustainability.