Vegan Festival in Adelaide moves to Rundle Park for October 26, 27
Last year’s Vegan Festival became so big, it’s moved to a different venue for this weekend — at Rymill Park, right across from CheeseFest.
delicious SA
Don't miss out on the headlines from delicious SA. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Vegans have outgrown Victoria Square. Rising interest in eating only plant-based food saw 15,000 people attend last year’s Vegan Festival, so it is moving to Rundle Park for October 26-27.
In case you wondered, it’s right across the road from CheeseFest + Ferment, at Rymill Park this weekend.
Vegan Festival director Lea McBride said the demographic is completely different.
“None of the people going to Vegan Festival would ever set foot in CheeseFest,” she said.
The Vegan Festival will feature 85 stalls, about half offering food and beverages, with cooking demonstrations and information – foodies have a good choice.
“We don’t want to be seen as just lettuce and grass. Vegan cuisine is really stepping up and vegans expect a certain level. It really is the next big foodie thing,” Ms McBride said.
Sophia Hamblen, 18, volunteered at last year’s festival and is looking forward to the weekend.
She wanted to be a dairy farmer but attending an agricultural high school and work in a dairy changed her mind.
Two years ago, she became a vegan, prompted by her love of animals and environmental reasons and “wanting to pursue the most ethical life that I could,” she said,
Ms Hamblen said she does not miss out on good foods.
“You can kind of have all the same things without the suffering of animals,” she said.
She enjoyed presenting some vegan cheeses to Christina the cow, a rescue animal at Freedom Hill Sanctuary in Woodside.
Christina was a twin and rejected by the farmer as too large a risk to raise, twin cows often proving to be infertile.
