Each year, thousands of people who follow a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle or who are curious about vegetarian food attend VegFest in Seattle, Wash.
Vegetarians of Washington, one of the largest vegetarian organizations in the United States, produces the annual food festival and involves more than 1,000 volunteers who serve hundreds of vegetarian food samples. Each of the six nutrition and health lecturers at VegFest this year were by Adventist doctors practicing in Western Washington.
"Many people recognize the health and other benefits of vegetarian food choices, but they are not sure what to eat, what to buy and how to cook it," say VegFest organizers. "This festival provides all the support that people need, and it's fun too."
The Adventist booth provides people with vegetarian food-pyramid handouts, upcoming health events, health and religious literature, and food samples from the Adventist Book Center.
"VegFest focuses on the physical, spiritual and environmental benefits of vegetarian food, so it is a good fit for the Adventist Church to be involved and represented particularly from the physical and spiritual perspective," says Nessy Pittau, Washington Conference health ministry director.
VegFest, now in its 10th year, is offered every March at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall, and attracts nearly 15,000 people from western Washington and beyond.
Michelle Weikum, Auburn Adventist Academy math teacher, samples one of Odwalla's fruit smoothies at VegFest. The vegetarian food festival attracts 15,000 people every year. (Heidi Martella)
Volunteers staff an Adventist lifestyle booth at VegFest and share literature and food samples with people who are curious about physical and spiritual health. (Heidi Martella)
