DC VegFest 2016!

So this past Saturday was the day of the much-awaited DC VegFest of this year! One of the public health analysts at work who's also vegan and has been to the previous DC VegFest said that we'd be in luck this year, with the weather toning down recently... and he was right! I was actually a tad under-dressed and couldn't help but think, "Sweater weather is definitely on the way"!

To speak on the turnout, there was a TON of people. The bf and I got there right around 11 AM at the opening of the event, and we still ended up being at the end of a long winding line that stretched all the way down the street from The Yards. Unfortunately, that also meant that we didn't make it within the first 1K to receive a free tote of goodies, but I like to think that the greatest takeaway from anything is always the experience! The first (and nice) thing that I noted was the diversity of the crowd, and this became even more apparent among the vendors as well-- the meat and dairy-free diet is prevalent in many cultures outside of the States, and this was quite evident in the stir of delicious aromas coming from all directions within the area of the outdoor venue.

After picking up a DC VegFest shirt for $15 as a keepsake for myself, the bf also surprised me with a tote bag to use for stashing all of the pamphlets, freebies, and samples we were going to be receiving from the various booths. I must add, the bag is really cute-- the "SV", standing for SuperVegan, resembles the Superman shield :] It's made out of a very light cloth material, so I don't think it'll support the weight of all my daily items (i.e. water bottle, wallet, keys, whichever book I'm currently reading, small notepad/pen, hand wipes... ergh, I carry a lot of stuff), but I will definitely be using this for carrying lighter items whenever I step out!

How cute is this?! 

By this point, it was almost noon and we were both pretty hungry, so the bf and I split a Yogi Dog, which is a vegan hot dog joint based in LA. The other option would have been to check out the more gourmet version at Yeah Dawg!!! from New York that another coworker recommended, but the line there was ridiculous and we were really hungry. Bf gave a nod of approval after the first bite of said Yogi Dog that we split, but I'm going to guess it probably wasn't his first choice of food for lunch. I, on the other head, thought it was pretty good, taste-wise (although they did overdo it with the condiments, as you can see). We then went over to the Tofurky booth, which had a bit of a line but we jumped in anyway. They had samples of Tofurky's Chorizo on nacho chips... and it was awesome sauce in your mouth, literally. The seasoning of the chorizo is on point and the texture could honestly fool the average person if you just put it in a chili or sloppy joes! I would also imagine this being good for nachos, tacos, mac-and-cheese, enchiladas, pretty much anything. Bf also gave a big thumbs up for this one, so that's really saying something.

Left: Yogi Dog, Right: Tofurky Banner (the chorizo-nacho sample was too good, I forgot to take a snapshot!)

The thing with these meat alternative products is that it doesn't leave you feeling gross and bogged down in the tummy like you would after you eat an actual meat hot dog; but at the same time, I do know that these mock meats made from processed soy and textured vegetable proteins should not be a staple food in your diet (your main source of protein should be from healthy servings of vegetables, legumes, wholesome grains like quinoa and oats, nuts, avocados, seeds, etc.). Besides, just like any other artificial food product out there, these fake meats can be loaded with just as much sodium, preservatives, oil, and calories. For the most part though, vegan "meats" are better as an occasional cheat food than the mystery meat hot dog that so many Americans love to throw on the grill on many occasions throughout the year. Here are two quick reads on meat hot dogs: one from BuzzFeed and another one with a video clip from TIME.

Having had our taste of the savories, we moved over to a small cookie stand that appeared to be almost swallowed over by the gathering of people around it. Upon taking a closer look, we saw the name Nomoo Cookies and decided to get 3 for snacking later in the day. Pictured below are Classic [Chocolate] Chipper, Vanilla Bean Dream, and Citrus Appeal. I like to try new stuff so I picked Citrus Appeal and gave the other two to the bf. Vanilla Bean Dream was a hit with him, and he also really like the chocolate chip sample that we tried! I just opened the Citrus Appeal before writing this and liked that as well. They're basically soft, flat chewy cookies that don't make you feel all that guilty because they're so light and not too sweet. Still, they are some form of an occasional treat...

I did look up the Nomoo company website to see what their story is about, and basically the name comes from their zero tolerance for dairy products and all 8 flavors of their cookies are vegan-certified. We go cuckoo for Nomoo Cookies!

Then we stopped by a few other informational booths held by some well-known organizations and non-profits like Mercy for Animals, FARM, Vegetarian Society of DC, The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and Barnard Medical Center, etc. We met some pretty wonderful people who shared their experiences in working within all different areas-- ranging from animal welfare, to health and nutrition, to research, to developing clothing brands, and even making and selling bracelets for a good cause towards feeding 5 lbs. of fresh produce to hungry families! Many of these booths handed out some very handy diagrams and charts that lay out details of what the plant-based lifestyle/diet comprise of, with visuals to help you take away from more than just a flyer with a flat paragraph on why you should eat grass. A good majority of these handouts were geared towards introducing a vegetarian or vegan starter kit to people who are new or on the fence about committing towards this path, but there were also some other pamphlets that I myself have definitely pinned to read and further learn from.

Much of the venue grounds were covered by this time, so the bf and I decided to make one last stop that I would not leave without having tried: Sticky Fingers. To be very frank, I really don't think this place was all that big until the vegan scene really hit this DC area within the last few years, especially since this place started out as a small bakery and only just recently expanded to a full-fledged bakery/diner/bar establishment (Fare Well). I could be wrong, maybe it has already been popular for a while and I just didn't know it until a year in of becoming vegan.

Aside from the point, the reason why I needed to try this place is because Sticky Fingers is, no doubt, one of the oldest standing and renowned place for vegan sweets. The excitement comes from finally having the option to buy a cake or baked goods without having to pass for fear of it containing dairy, butter, or eggs! Just so people don't get freaked out by the whole "egg-free, dairy-free, guilt-free" concept and wonder what on earth these things are made of, here are common alternatives:

• Baking soda, baking powder, and vinegar to leaven cakes, cookies etc. 
• Other egg replacements can include mashed bananas, apple sauce and ground flax seed. 
• Butter substitutes can be commercial vegan butter, coconut oil, cocoa butter, or just plain old veggie oil if you're not feelin' fancy. 
• Milk, obviously sub with any non-dairy milk. 
• Cream, same thing (usually coconut cream).
• Sweetener in place of honey: Agave nectar, Maple syrup, Rice syrup

That said, we really could have just done with one or the other, but the bf decided to spoil me and got both the Cowvin Sandwich Cookie (oatmeal cookies and vanilla cream), and a generous slice of Cookies 'n Cake... and OH. EM. GEE. It was so sweet and rich, but so good! Again, like all the other vegan foods around this event, you wouldn't believe these were vegan goods if no one told you. The Cowvin was soft enough to break apart for me and the bf to share, and the cake we just took turns taking it by the forkful.

Seriously, if you have never been, you need to go now and check out Sticky Fingers in Columbia Heights. Even if you don't live in the area and it's out of the way, I would say it's worth at least one trip. They also have vegan donuts, of which they post pictures on Instagram almost every day, and they also look good but that may be for some other time.

Got back home and realized I had gathered quite the stash to show for my first DC Vegfest experience! I would definitely go again next year if I'm still in the area and bring a larger group of friends to garner more interest.

*Side note: Teddy thought I was prepping food for him so he was ducking in and out from under the coffee table while I was taking all this stuff out, silly boy.