The inaugural Vegan Food Fest took place this past Saturday on the grounds of Fort York and from the onset, the outdoor festival seemed like it was going to be great; the day was blessed with sunshine, the atmosphere was super laidback and there was plenty beer and wine on offer.
And it was fun... at least for the first few hours anyway... then the food ran out resulting in hangry crowds of ravenous vegans. Here's a photo and social media round-up of the good, bad and the ugly of the Vegan Food Fest in Toronto.
THE GOOD
Seeing our local faves
It was great to see Doug's Public Kitchen, Pleasantville Creamery, Cardinal Rule, YamChops and Bloomer's in one place.
Discovering new vegan pop-up vendors
Vaffles, Dishum Dishum, and Wood & Water Foods were all new finds for me.
Discovering vegans from south of the border
Good on you Vegan Fest for introducing us all to LA's Doomie's, and Charlie's Brownies.
There was... a vegan Big Mac
This vegan version of McD's signature sandwich from Doomie's Home Cooking was a festival favourite.
Polenta poutine
Thank you Doug McNish!
Tempeh Reuben
Bloomer's sauerkraut smothered sandwiches were a hit.
Pickles on a Stick
Cardinal Rule's deep fried pickles were delicious.
Nuht Cheeze Galette
Wood & Water topped these savoury pastries with heirloom tomatoes, thai basil and tree nut cheese.
Nacho Rama
Wild Child's Kitchen served corn tortilla's with gaucamole, salsa, cashew sour cream, and hot sauce.
Deep Fried Mac N' Cheese
Nona's cheesy, saucy macaroni dish was a favourite with crowds.
Baked Goods Galore
Tori's Bakeshop brought the whole store!THE BAD
Lack of signage
Signs to the event? A banner marking the entrance? A directory of vendors? How about posting the ingredients for each dish? All of these basics were in short supply.
Expen$ive!!!
$10 tickets ($15 at the gate) + food + drinks = one pricey day out.
@TOVeggieMeetup @veganfestto The lines were Hours long. Food was way overpriced & not good enough to justify the cost/time. Not going back
— Purnima (@pkompella) August 9, 2015
Two hour line-upsI'm looking at you Big Mac.
@veganfestto in a ridiculously long line for "Big Macs" right now. #irony #vegan #veganfestto @doomies
— Philipp G. Berg Ⓥ (@greenpupil) August 8, 2015
After 2 hours in line, food is in sight. So excited! #VeganFestTO http://pic.twitter.com/rwZj4NE6CI
— Lisa Ronald (@lmronald) August 8, 2015
Only thing I didn't like was how long the lineups were. I didn't eat anything I wanted to try. #VeganFestTO
— Nadia Mars (@ItsNadiaMars) August 9, 2015
THE UGLY
Food sold out just hours in
This wasn't the clusterfuck that was Mac & Cheese fest, but this was a ticketed event billed until 7pm and a lot of the food was gone by 4:30pm.
Starting to mind a lot that I'm still in line and have yet to eat anything. Meanwhile, I see vendors packing up #veganfestto
— Lisa Ronald (@lmronald) August 8, 2015
#veganfestto I hate insulting anything vegan in Toronto, but it was terribly organized and I ended up waiting hours and still not eating
— Shayna (@shaynak112) August 9, 2015
How was your Vegan Food Fest? Let us know in the comments.
Photos by Jesse Milns
by Liora Ipsum via blogTO
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