This past weekend was the third annual Vida Vegan Con Bazaar & Conference in Austin, Texas. The conference itself, which took place on Saturday and Sunday, was sold out by the time I caught word of the event, but luckily, I was able to snag a ticket to the Friday Bazaar. It was held at the Marchesa Hall & Theatre, which holds many annual events and is the home of the Austin Film Society.
Out front were local vegan food trucks, including Cool Beans, Arlo’s and more. Inside was a flurry of vendors and people and food and freebies and it was awesome. Like, seriously. Getting to be surrounded by friendly vegans while sampling delicious food and discovering new products is pretty cool. Here are some of my favorite photos from the Vegan Bazaar, starting with the food!
There was SO much vegan cheese and each brand was equally divine. In the lobby of the theatre were 2 long tables filled with cheese from Miyoko’s Creamery, and let me tell you, I’m glad I got there early because it was gone in the blink of any eye.
There was also quite a bit of vegan bacon, which I was definitely okay with.
Some of the food was made by local companies, and others came from out of state. I also saw granola, vegan jerky, avocado spread, donuts, veggie burgers, kombucha soda, tamales, and more.
Aside from the yummy food, there were t-shirts galore, as well as buttons, bumper stickers, jewelery, bags, cookbooks, beauty items, and handcrafted soaps.
I loved seeing how many animal organizations were at the bazaar, like Sea Shepard Conservation Society, shown below.
Not to mention, Gene Baur (founder of Farm Sanctuary) was at the conference all weekend and gave a welcome talk at the bazaar. That was very exciting because he’s like a celebrity to me; the George Clooney of the vegan world if you will.
I had a great time and I wish I could have stayed longer. Luckily, I went home with lots of swag goodies including coupons, recipes, lip balm, soap, buttons, tattoos, food samples, and lots of other things. Yay!
I heard from sources at the bazaar that this is the last year of Vida Vegan Con. If that’s true, then I’m glad I got a chance to check it out, even for a few hours. Events like these are a great opportunity to meet like-minded people and discover new products. Whether you’re a full fledged vegan or just considering it, I encourage you to check out any similar events going on in your city. You will not be disappointed!
Thanks Vida Vegan Con!
Jillian ♥
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