Your first vegan festival
By Hannah
A big vegan festival is a different animal from a local market. There may be a hundred or more stalls, a stage with talks, cookery demonstrations and thousands of visitors. It is great fun, and a little overwhelming the first time. A bit of planning makes all the difference.
Before you go
Buy tickets in advance if you can. Larger festivals often sell cheaper early tickets and sometimes have a separate early-entry slot. Check whether children go free, and whether the venue allows re-entry.
Look at the programme. Talks and demos are scheduled, and the popular ones fill up. Pick two or three you really want and plan the rest of the day around them.
Check the exhibitor list. If there is a bakery or cheesemaker you particularly want to try, head there first.
On the day
- Arrive early. The first hour is calmer and the best samples go quickly.
- Eat before you are starving. Food queues peak between 12 and 2pm. An early or late lunch saves a long wait.
- Do a lap first. Walk the whole hall before buying, then go back for what you really want.
- Carry a bag and some cash. Card readers struggle in crowded halls.
- Stay hydrated. Exhibition halls are warm and dry. Bring a refillable bottle.
Samples and spending
Free samples are part of the fun, but it is easy to graze your way to a stomach ache before lunch. Small traders also live off sales, not tastings. If you like something, buying even a small item is the best support you can give.
Talks and demos
Festival talks cover everything from cooking on a budget to campaigning and nutrition. They are a good way to sit down for half an hour. Take what you hear with the same common sense you would apply anywhere: a speaker's personal experience is not medical advice.
With children
Many festivals have a family area. Agree a meeting point in case you get separated, and go early, when the aisles are clearer for pushchairs.
Afterwards
Most people come home with a bag of new things to try. Keep the business cards: many traders sell online, and the best way to keep a small brand alive is to order again. For ideas on what to eat when you are out and about, see eating vegan on the go, and check our vegan events calendar for when the big dates usually fall.
