Washington Adventist Book Center once again participated in VegFest, a large annual vegetarian festival at the Seattle Center.
As VegFest has grown, it has become a tremendous opportunity for witnessing. Thousands of people from a variety of backgrounds attend, brought together by their interest in healthy living.
Many who stop at the ABC's display have never heard of Seventh-day Adventists and are excited to see a church who believes vegetarianism is important. But a surprisingly large number of attendees are acquainted with Adventists in some way. Many people mention that they were raised in the church, or know someone who is an Adventist.
One woman who stopped by the ABC tables fondly recalled Loma Linda Medical Center's cafeteria food. Others wanted brochures with information regarding how to obtain a variety of vegetarian food. One couple—new to the area—were excited to connect with the ABC and learn where they could find the closest store.
The Adventist Church is the only church who attends VegFest in any capacity, so the ABC, along with other Adventist individuals and groups, has a great opportunity to reach out to the community in an otherwise secular venue.
Mike and Karen Schwartz, from Washington Adventist Book Center, hand out samples of vegetarian food products at VegFest, an annual vegetarian food festival held at Seattle Center. The ABC was one of approximately 200 vendors providing 500 types of vegetarian and vegan food products. (Heidi Martella)
Heather Reseck, author of Fix-It-Fast and a member of the Sequim Church, demonstrates how to make vegan peanut butter cookies at VegFest in Seattle. (Heidi Martella)
Sandy Baker, Sharleen Puckett, Channah Widel, and Trina Hall from Marysville Church attended VegFest and enjoyed a good laugh after trying "Cavi-Art," a vegetarian caviar, and convincing others to try it. (Heidi Martella)
