As the number of vegans in the UK grows, so does the number of vegan festivals and events on offer.
They’re a great way of meeting fellow vegans and finding products that may be difficult to get hold of on your local High Street. I also find them fantastic for discovering new (to me) independent vegan retailers and connecting with grassroots animal rights groups.
Vegan Events UK is one group with a busy festival calendar this year.
There’s something for all ages at their forthcoming vegan festivals this spring. These popular events, held at venues up and down the country include a feast of mouth-wateringly delicious food, a wide range of fantastic stalls, world food caterers, exciting cookery demos, inspirational talks, interactive workshops, yoga and children’s activities running throughout the day.
Food on offer includes a varied and exciting array of plant-based hot and cold dishes, including Asian, Mediterranean, Indian, Greek, Hotdogs, Burgers, Street Food, Raw Food and Gourmet Food! There will also be a huge range of pies, cakes, chocolates, cookies, doughnuts, sandwiches and salads to take away as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, juices, smoothies, tea and coffee.
There will be a great selection of non-food stalls at the event selling a wide variety of items including fashion, footwear, jewellery, beauty and skincare products, candles, crafts, clothing, footwear, homeware, gifts and charity merchandise.
As well as stalls to look round, there will also be a wide range of free food samples to try, live music, inspirational talks, live cookery demonstrations, workshops and children’s activities.
Vegan Events UK organises over 20 of the largest vegan festivals and events across the UK. Events this spring are being held in Essex, Portsmouth, Shoreditch, Manchester, Glasgow, Leicester, Liverpool, Nottingham and Dorset.
Festival Organiser Victoria Bryceson says: “With the vegan lifestyle really starting to go mainstream there’s a massive demand around the country for vegan-friendly events. Our festivals are set to be a fantastic day out whether you’re vegetarian, vegan or simply vegan-curious. The idea behind the festivals is to educate and inform everyone about the vegan lifestyle and offer support to anybody who would like it.”
Going vegan has transformed Victoria’s life: “I’ve never felt happier and healthier,” she says. She started the festival with the aim of promoting animal welfare and how to live a more ethical and healthy lifestyle.
“There will be several animal welfare charity stalls raising awareness of their causes. For anybody who would like to get involved with volunteering this is an ideal place to talk to lots of different charities and gather information, and all the stall holders are happy to talk to people and answer any questions.”
The festivals are run in partnership with animal welfare charities including Miracle’s Mission. “It’s all about trying new things and opening people’s eyes to new possibilities,” continues Victoria. “Cutting out meat and dairy from your diet is easier than you might think and many people are increasingly looking for alternatives as they want to live more healthily and ethically. They want to find out more about the new innovative foods and recipes now available and want to do it affordably. Our festivals will educate people on how to do all of this.”
The festivals being held in spring 2018 are:
• Shoreditch Viva! Vegan Festival on Saturday 17th March and Sunday 18th March
• Northern Vegan Festival (Manchester) on Saturday 7th April
• Glasgow Vegan Festival on Saturday 14th April and Sunday 15th April
• Leicester Vegan Festival on Saturday 21st April
• Liverpool Vegan Festival on Saturday 5th May
• Nottingham Viva! Vegan Festival on Saturday 12th May
• Dorset Vegan Festival on Sunday 20th May
Entry into each of the spring festivals costs just £3 (under-16s free), which includes entry to all areas and activities. Standard tickets are purchased at the door on the day. VIP tickets, costing £15, include fast-track entry and a goody bag full of vegan products, samples, discounts and offers can be purchased in advance but sell out quickly.
For more information, please visit www.veganeventsuk.co.uk or www.facebook.com/VeganEventsUK