Bethlehem Vegfest 7 Highlights

Can you believe this was the 7th year of the Bethlehem Vegfest?

VM and I have attended every year, but you know what we just realized? 89 wasn't even born yet, let alone my beloved, when we went to the inaugural event. Can't imagine that we were wandering around sans muppet. In any event, we're old pros at this point.

Stopped off at Vegan Treats on the way in because we love them so and also because we wanted to bypass the inevitable line at the vegfest and at Vegan Treats after the vegfest. PROS, I TELL YOU!

Of course as soon as we got there, everyone was fawning all over 89. Naturally, she had to show off by posing with the goodies. If you've not yet been to their Bethlehem shoppe, you must go. Everything is so gorgeous; it's no wonder non-vegans drool over these vegan creations.

She got a little too comfortable. That's a lot of a long body to fit laying down on a stool!

VM and I took a seat with a platter of donuts that we duplicated for take home. The flavors: raspberry lemonade, turtle, bavarian cream, strawberry shortcake were all divine, per usual. Love, love, LOVE.

They were originally slated to have speculoos soft serve ice cream, but for some reason had hazelnut and chocolate swirled into nutella instead. Can't be mad at that!! VM and 89 both loved the hazelnut. Amateurs! Swirl is where it's at.

Loved this sign they had at the entrance. We must always stand up for what's right- even when it's uncomfortable or inconvenient. Especially then, in fact.

And then we were off to Vegfest. We entered by the speaker tent. If you zoom in, you'll see a pooch in the front row. 89 barks when people clap, so we try to be careful when we choose to listen in.

The speaker seemed to be doing a food demo and was cooking jackfruit; it was not a great smell, but obviously couldn't be helped. Unfortunately, what made it worse was that it was mingling with the moth ball odor that was coming from a clothing vendor a few booths down. That seemed avoidable- blech.

So, we hightailed it past and VM got a crush sangria from Franklin Hills vineyard, which I neglected to photograph because I was too busy with 89 meeting all the dogs.

Overall, we've given up on trying to find specific vendors; instead, we just walk the event from beginning to end so we don't miss anything.

We were happy to see a couple of new (to us and the fest) t-shirt vendors right away. We made a beeline to Redefine Your Mind because we loved the colors in their designs and their super soft, organic shirts. Also had such a nice time chatting with the people at the booth!

Then we got some produce from local Bechdolt's Orchard. It's funny how vegans are always bellyaching that vegfests don't showcase enough whole foods and then there's no line when they do...

Once again, Vegan Treats had an amazing tent: filled with cakes, cookies, donuts, cannolis, brownies, candy bars, and t-shirts. They even had adorable cat-adorned paper bags to make it easier for people to carry their haul around the rest of the fest, which was really cool. As someone who always has a tote bag with me, I can tell you with no uncertainty that my VT haul is consistently much too abundant for any normal tote bag. Per usual, the staff handled the unrelenting masses like pros. The line was constant, but moved steadily (I wasn't on it!).

We stopped by the Tamerlaine Farm Animal Sanctuary booth so I could finally get one of their punny (also roomy & sturdy) totes. Big enough for a dog named 89, likely too puny for an enormous haul of VT.

Then 89 and I sat for a caricature. VM made her this super rad shirt that says, quite clearly, "HELLO my name is 89." As you can see, her tag also says the same. So, can someone tell me why this was so confusing? Can't tell you how many people asked us:

• if she'd just been in a race
• if her name was 68

We really thought this shirt would be helpful, not make things more complicated. Get it together, vegans!

Here's 89's section of the caricature. You might notice that, while surely well-intentioned, it's not altogether flattering. This is why I'm not showing you the whole thing.

By then we'd worked up an appetite and it was time to hit the food "court." We sorely missed the Taza Truck, but it was nice to see so many new to us vendors.

That being said, we couldn't help ourselves from going to our favorites. Sue us; we're creatures of delicious habit.

We started off with these amazeballs bajacos (baja tacos) from our buds at Freakin' Vegan. "Baja-style Cali "fish" taco w crispy cauli, tri-color slaw w cilantro dressing" were served on a soft corn tortilla and they were outstanding. The cilantro didn't bother me (shocking) and I especially loved the fresh, chopped jalapeno.

I owed 89 more than a bite of my tacos since the Freakin Vegan crew graciously offered her some mac as soon as we'd arrived at the fest and I'd declined WITHOUT CONSULTING HER because it wasn't lunchtime yet. By the time we were ready to eat they were sold out and 89 was MAAAAAAD. Bites of cauliflower and purple cabbage helped to assuage her fury.

After that it was Snail time. I scarfed down my maple mustard tempeh sammie (with marinated kale, onion, tomato and roasted garlic aioli on grilled spelt bread) without getting a pic, but VM leisurely enjoyed her French lentil burger (with artichokes, carmelized onions, coconut bacon, marinated kale, and roasted garlic aioli on a grilled pretzel bun) after giving 89 a sniff (and some lentils). Later in the day, Ms. Snail asked VM what her favorite thing to eat at the event was. Guess what she said? Not pandering, just TRUTH.

After that we visited with friends and took one final spin around the event, where we got our annual Mompops before heading home. Rumor has it they may bring some adult varieties next year and we're already looking forward to that.

We are big fans of this event for a lot of reasons, none of which are new; I've stated it annually. Love that it's outside and pet-friendly. Love that it's free admission so that it draws a non-veg crowd. Love that they include sanctuaries and non-profits. Wish, however, that they'd expand their vegan take-home food and item offerings, as there are SO MANY!

For one, can V-dog please table? I was wearing this shirt and I can't tell you how many perplexed (and misinformed but adamant) people I encountered on the subject of vegan dogs. I'm sure you vegans out there won't be surprised to learn that just like every non-vegan becomes a nutritional expert when they find out you're vegan, so too do they become a canine nutritional expert when they find out your dog is vegan! Read up, peeps; it's 2017.

We've heard that the organizers of this event may not be taking full advantage of the area vegan community and I would like to implore them to tap in to actual local vegans in the know. Downtown Bethlehem Association, please reach out to them or put out a call! There are so many knowledgeable, talented people who would love to work towards making this event bigger and better in so many ways; use them as a resource to make a great event even better.

Bethlehem Vegfest 6: Sweaty Highlights

Another year, another Bethlehem Vegfest! If you've read this blog for any length of time, you know that this is a favorite- not only for its proximity to Vegan Treats, but because it's free, dog-friendly, and open to the public. The safe space of a vegan festival that caters predominantly to vegans is alluring, but charging admittance keeps out non-vegans- particularly when it's an exorbitant sum. If the point is to create new vegans (it is!), what better way than to woo them with a free invitation to our exemplary and celebratory festivities? But, I digress.

 

We always begin our BethVegFest adventure at Vegan Treats. Sure, they have a tremendous booth at the fest, but that's kind of for tourists; we like to go straight to the source.

Vegan Treats old fashioned glazed donut, monkey bread, chicken & waffles donut, strawberry cheesecake softserve

Then it's off to the fest. They alternate between holding it in late August and early September; I think we can all agree that henceforth mid-September is the way to go because August is JUST TOO DAMN HOT. Thankfully, this year the organizers put tents over the tables/chairs in the food court area to offer a much appreciated reprieve from the relentless sunshine.

too damn hot

saving the day with orange coconut Mompops

Per usual, we met some wonderful, open-minded, curious non-vegans at the fest- mostly over lunch. Because it's a neutral setting with a built-in topic of conversation, it's always a good chance to informally chat about the truths and myths of veganism.

Franklin Hill Vineyards sangria spritzer for VM

Of course, the Bethlehem Vegfest wouldn't be what it is without me having an argument with someone (2 at BVF #5!). This time, it was with a clueless vendor inexplicably selling expensive pottery that was "beautiful because it's from Spain." First of all, I'll never understand why these types of vendors choose to vend at vegfests. The pottery is, most likely, accidentally vegan at best. So, what do these kinds of wares have to do with a vegfest? As far as non-food items go, people want messagewear, vegan clothing and accessories, cruelty-free beauty products- you know, things that aren't usually vegan by default. But that wasn't my beef.

While we were looking at the pottery she explained that the ridges in the center were a grating feature and proceeded to demonstrate with an ugly hunk of provolone animal cheese. Because VM has repeatedly implored me to work on my finesse, I diplomatically informed her that a block of cheese was an interesting choice at a vegan fest. She hesitated, then shrugged and said, "But not everyone is vegan."

BUT THIS IS A VEGAN FESTIVAL.

Her posturing became very defensive and I was unsure how I was going to proceed when a voice a few feet from me stated with equal neutrality, "Perhaps you should leave that out of your vegfest demonstrations." I looked up to see another disappointed vegan (as evidenced by her shirt) and breathed a sigh of relief and solidarity. The vendor then trivialized, "I didn't realize cheese was so upsetting!" We all walked away and heard her laughing, telling the next attendees passing her booth how "angry" vegans were mad at her just for having cheese. I did not hear their response. Why? Because I was storming over to the organizer table to defer to the professionals. It turns out, not surprisingly, that each vendor is provided with copious amount of information and guidelines for the fest, so there was absolutely no excuse for the presence of the cheese or, frankly, her attitude. They went over to speak with her and the next time we passed the cheese was missing from the table.

For the record, it's not so much that vegans can't bear to be in the presence of animal products. Let's face it, we all live in the real world where we're surrounded by non-vegans eating, wearing, and otherwise using animals in a manner we wouldn't consider. But to participate in a VegFest with such little respect for the cause is an absolute affront.

Moving on.

Vegan Treats speculoos cookie

The vendors and organizations were a little sparse this year, but there seemed to be more food options than ever. Granted, this is always the busiest section of the fest, but without much else to do, it was hard to find a reason to stick around until you became hungry enough to eat again.

The Taza Truck Egyptian kushari

To be fair, the intense heat didn't help matters either.

MomPops strawberry lemonade popsicle

The Cinnamon Snail crushed it again with the longest line; I admit I couldn't brave it in the oppressive heat. Vegan Shop-Up fave Freakin Vegans came in second. It seemed as though the other vendors catered to the overflow, of which there was plenty. As for desserts: Vegan Treats and MomsPops were the clear winners.

Freakin' Vegan buffalo wrap, mac & cheese, and empanadas

Rumor has it that there could be a revamp in the works for future BFVs and I find that prospect rather exciting; they've definitely had some ups and downs over the years. The huge turnout always confirms that there is significant interest in this event and that's the biggest piece of the puzzle. I'd gladly offer input if anyone is interested; this great event definitely has the potential to be amazing.

Highlights of Bethlehem VegFest 5!

I know I always say it, but Bethlehem Vegfest is my favorite vegfest and this year was no exception. What's not to love about an outdoor, pet-friendly, all vegan fest? Did I mention it's free admission and all-welcoming? Yep; it is.

89 and I were decked out in our message wear: me in Vegan Police Shop and 89 repping The Tree Kisser. True story: a little later in the day, a (possibly vegan) woman waiting for her lemonade alongside me asked me about 89's shirt and, when I explained that she was vegan, informed me that "dogs can't be vegans!" WRONG! Totes vegan, totes thriving. She didn't want to hear it and literally turned her back on me in dramatic disgust- I felt as thought I'd met an online troll in real life: someone who just wants to make derogatory and judgmental comments without defense or conversation. So not interested in that; move along with your haterade.

VM was stylin too, but it proved a little difficult to squeeze all of our shirts into a selfie. Here she is modeling Herbivore, Matt & Nat, and Franklin Hill Vineyards (more on that later).

We began our day at Vegan Treats because that's how we roll. We I chose a few donuts to "share": glazed sprinkles, powdered cannoli creme-filled, and a cronut.

 

And then I noticed that they had chipwiches... What's a girl to do?

 

We shared that one (for real), but here's a whole one in all its glory from another day for you to appreciate.

 

Then it was time to head to Vegfest! I thought it was really cool that it made it to my GPS: we've hit the big time, my vegan comrades (or not; I really don't know how GPS works).

Our gleesome threesome and our eight collective shoes (one not pictured, although I assure you it was there).

 

First stop: the Compassion Co. booth for these pins I've been coveting. I've been a big fan of their shirts for their impeccable designs, obvious quality, and admirable ethics, but I'm an even bigger fan now as a result of my respect for The Bearded Vegans.

After that I made a beeline to mompops for a strawberry lemonade popsicle for...

This nerd.

I saw more people walking around with a mompop than without. It was the perfect storm of refreshing and convenient. Even people waiting in the extremely long food lines were enjoying mompops as they waited.

Because it was so hot, throughout the day I had a few forgettable and/or un-enjoyable drinks from various vendors- most notably a hot mess of pureed blueberry and lemon juice that was passed off as a "smoothie" for $6, but VM fared better in that department by visiting her fave tent: Franklin Hill Vineyards. She had their fainting goat red wine infused with natural cherry: served over ice with fruit. Somehow she discovered that the young woman at the tent was a vegetarian like her and, because vegetarians confound me more than omnivores, I butted into the conversation to find out why she wasn't vegan. She told me that she didn't eat meat because she didn't want an animal to die, but she didn't see what was wrong with dairy or eggs. Because VM gets very nervous around me in situations such as this, I simply suggested that she visit the speaker tent later on that day because Vinny DePaul was going to discuss "Transitioning to veganism." It was at this point she started telling me that she only eats milk and eggs from a farm down the street from her where she knows the animals are treated well and the farmer only "takes" the "excess" milk. I asked her if she knew where the baby cows went and she assured me they were all kept on the farm- even the male calves. Since that's not a likely or sustainable farming method, we went back and forth with me trying to explain and her trying really hard to be right- to be able to justify knowing that animal exploitation is wrong except for in the kind way she is participating. As for me, I was just getting more and more annoyed- not because I was impatient that she doesn't know what most vegans know, but rather: for one, I find it ever more interesting that even though factory farms produce over 95% of the world's eggs, every thoughtful vegetarian I meet assures me that they're not getting their eggs that way. Second, I want to take the day off at Vegfest; I don't want to have to debate with a vendor at a vegan event why there's no right way to do the wrong thing. Third: I don't want VM mad at me.

After that lively debate we headed off in search of lunch. To say The Cinnamon Snail slayed it would be an understatement. VM unofficially awarded them the "longest line for the longest time" award; it was a sight. Because we're spoiled in that we can catch them at events in New York and New Jersey, we decided to grab something new instead. To give you an idea of why we made that decision, here is the view of the front of the Cinnamon Snail line from the relatively tiny line we waited in for our food; you'll notice you can't see the end.

We chose The Taza Truck because VM wanted falafel. I really wanted to try their Egyptian cuisine, but was hesitant because they're not normally a vegan food vendor.

I was still keeping my options open when I spied the kushari on their menu: seasoned lentils, rice, and pasta (!) topped with garbanzos and caramelized onions in a warm, tangy red sauce. The last thing I felt like eating was something warm, but something (pasta) about this dish sounded so appealing that I couldn't resist.

I apologize for the terrible photo; it doesn't in the least do justice to this phenomenal dish. But, here it is: flanked by a falafel sammie belonging to VM on one side and a ful sammie belonging to a friend on the other- neither of which I bothered to photograph unwrapped because it really was all about the kushari. It was so spectacular that I went back to the truck to thank the staff and they could not have been kinder to me and my appreciative tummy.

We took another swing around the fest and I got this awesomely snarky Lois Eastlund tee from Grape Cat (not this one), a Vegan Shop-Up regular like me. Maybe 89 needs one with a similar message about vegan dogs? Perhaps Compassion Co. is interested in a collaboration...

Finally, we couldn't resist checking out the always-impressive and impeccable Vegan Treats tent. This year an orderly line seemed to form organically, while in years past customers just squeezed in wherever they could find an opening. It always amazes me that despite the heat and the crowds the staff is always cheery and helpful; the desserts are each flawless.

Because I intended to swing by the shop again on our way home I didn't expect to buy anything at the tent, but I couldn't resist these totally adorable ice cream shortbread cookies that VT has been outdoing themselves with of late...and a fruit marscapone tart that was eaten too quickly to be photographed.

As it turned out, the line at the shop itself was down the block when we returned, so we decided to forgo what would have essentially been a third visit in a single day.

On the way home we took a very happy detour to pass my favorite house in Bethlehem that just happens to be up for sale (in case anyone is looking to get me a present).

It was another terrific Bethlehem Vegfest! Happily, I ran in to quite a few people I've met over the years at the fest; so nice to see you guys! I will be glad to do it all again next year- perhaps with slightly less drama.

photo by @broccolishitake!

[UPDATE 9/7/15: just found 89 online in a Lehigh Valley Live article (thx, Brzl!)]