The 24th Annual Vegetarian Food Fair in Toronto

Posted by Jill Harris Sep 19, 2008

Every year, the Toronto Vegetarian Association (TVA) hosts the Vegetarian Food Fair on the shore of Lake Ontario. Admission is free, and so are most samples of the food - and that means not a lot of space to move! The busy festival is held the first weekend after Labour Day every September and runs for three days.

What’s Old and New Again

This was my fourth year attending the Food Fair. I love that I recognize some vendors that have been there for years - probably much longer than I have. There’s the “sprout guy”; the non-stick cookware people; complementary issues of VegNews magazine, Whole Foods and the Animal Rights tent.

This year I was also delighted to see a few new offerings: more clothing, Stella McCartney skin care, vegan belts and purses, Scheese cheese substitute and hemp milk on tap. You may have read about my thinly-veiled hatred of hemp milk, but my brother tried it and thought the chocolate was actually pretty good. So I encourage everyone to try it once, as it’s high in healthy omega-3 fats.

The best part is that most foods (including those yummy free samples) are vegan, and all are vegetarian. Everything is clearly marked. So it’s a haven for those of us who are usually asking “are there eggs in that?” and “is there gelatin in that yogurt?”.

What was Missing

This year some of the tofu tents were missing (I need my jerky fix!) and Tofutti weren’t present with their addictive Tofutti Cutie ice “cream” sandwiches. At 50 cents each, and so many different flavours, I always devoured at least a few. However, it’s great to see new people pick up the reigns and deliver yummy meatless dishes.

A professor of mine once mentioned that readers of Vegetarian magazines are largely non-vegetarian. This surprised me and has reminded me to keep an open mind – just as the Food Fair has kept an open door with their free admission. I’ve brought many omnivores to the Fair over the years. It’s a great opportunity to expose people to new – and delicious – foods.

See you there next year!