Hundreds of guests visited Buffalo Riverworks on Sunday to attend Taste of Vegan, a mini food fest that offered a host of delicious and 100% meatless and animal product-free dishes from local eateries. The event served as both a fundraiser and preview for a larger event, the Western New York VegFest in September.
In addition to expanding options for a variety of dietary preferences, both events also serve to promote eating and shopping local, as businesses continue to recover from the pandemic.
“This is super important just to get the word out there that we’re still here, the vendors are still here, and they appreciate all of the support,” said Taste of Vegan co-organizer Rachel Pawelski. “And this is just a great way to celebrate that we made it. Hopefully, we’re coming out on the other end and we’re just allowing people to show their support all at once.”
Those who couldn’t score admission to the sold-out event were able to stop by the free vegan vendor market, which featured a variety of services and products dedicated to promoting wellness, like soy candles, crafted in the Queen City.
“They are hand-poured, we pour them with love,” said Tawanda Johnson, owner of It All Makes Scents. “We use 100% soy natural fragrance oils. We pour them in small batches. We’re a family-owned company and we do it all ourselves. We’re getting the majority of support from here in Buffalo. So everything’s just amazing.”
Community support not only sustains local businesses financially; it helps foster relationships between buyers and sellers, which has been a missing element over the past year across different industries.
“Community interaction is the biggest part of farming," said Kristi Winquist, co-owner of Local Roots in Burt. "A lot of people don’t know where their food comes from. And when you come see us at a market, you get to meet your farmer, you get to learn a little bit about your food. And when we weren’t able to do that during COVID, a lot of people missed out on the opportunity to know what they’re eating and where exactly it came from.”
There will be plenty of opportunities to veg out on interactions and plant-based offerings at VegFest, and all are welcome to join the fun.
“Give it a shot; everyone’s welcome here," Pawelski said. "You don’t have to be vegan or vegetarian to a 10, you can be flexitarian, omnivore, carnivore, whatever you want to call yourself. You’re welcome to just come and try some delicious food, so give it a shot. You won’t be disappointed.”
The Seventh Annual WNY VegFest will be held on Sept. 26 at Buffalo Riverworks, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.