There’s no doubt that animal-friendly living is a major trend that is here to stay, as seen by the countless new veggie lifestyle startups and vegan festivals happening all year. Over the weekend, Home Business Magazine had the opportunity to attend the top cruelty-free lifestyle celebration in Los Angeles: the 2016 California Vegetarian Food Festival. Taking place at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, the festival gave vegan/vegetarian food and lifestyle companies the chance to market themselves to hundreds of animal lovers.
California Vegetarian Food Festival was a fantastic event for cruelty-free businesses to get the word out about their products and services to swarms of fans. Vegetarian and vegan snack food companies had a major presence at the festival, with hungry herbivores going gaga over the truly delicious Kelly’s Croutons, barnana‘s candy-coated banana bites, Peeled Snacks dried fruit, and Tsubi Soup‘s delectable vegan miso soups. Everyone also loved Le Chef MoMo‘s Lebanese food, Ihsan’s Falafel, Better Bean Company‘s flavorful beans, Casa de Brisa, Vegan Pizza in OC, and Southern Fried Vegan‘s plant-based delicacies.
Healthy vegan desserts were also very popular at the festival. Attendees swarmed the booths for Badass Power Cookie‘s flavorful cookies, Divine Dips Vegan Ice Crème, Donut Farm‘s extraordinary vegan donuts, and International Desserts & Delicacies. Vegan Dots also stole the show with their tasty ice cream treats and attendees also loved Uncle Eddie’s Vegan Cookies and Lulu’s Sorbetto. The top dessert at the festival was definitely Maxine’s Heavenly Cookies, available in succulent flavors like Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip.
Guests also stayed refreshed with Essentia alkalaine water and Hubert‘s Blood Orange Lemonade. Attendees also enjoyed sampling the tantalizing lemonade and almond milk coffee drinks from Califia Farms. For those wanting to add some hops to their day, Laurelwood Brewing Company provided an array of their tasty brews.
Clothing and other lifestyle companies also played a major role at the festival. First off, Alegria Xocolatl wowed the crowds with her raw vegan organic chocolate treats and skincare essentials. All of the festival-goers also loved Will’s Vegan Shoes (super stylish!), VEGETARYN‘s trendy, animal-friendly apparel, Vegan Chic‘s stylish fashions, and the made-in-the-USA, hands-free bags and fanny packs by Hipsters for Sisters. Vegans Rock Apparel also showed off their high quality, vegan-themed tees.
Throughout the day, attendees could also watch panel presentations and cooking demos by celebrated vegan chefs and lifestyle experts. One of the major highlights of the festival was the “Advanced Strategies for a Sustainable Diet & Lifestyle” presentation by Rachel Avalon, a renowned holistic health coach. At the Pear Stage (sponsored by Matthew Kenney Culinary), top chefs like Alice MacKinnon and superfood expert Julie Morris put on eye-opening cooking demonstrations for the many excited fans.
At the event, attendees could adopt adorable dogs and cats from the Best Friends Animal Society. Mercy for Animals and sanctuaries like The Gentle Barn also told everyone about the need for compassion for animals. California Vegetarian Food Festival 2016 was also sponsored by US Veg Corp, Two Shes Productions, the LA Times, REDFIN Real Estate, Rescue Chocolate, Cedar’s, JaneUnchained.com, and THRIVE Magazine.
In all, the first-ever California Vegetarian Food Festival was a major hit for the many plant-based brands in attendance. All of the animal-friendly companies got the word out about their new launches and grew their fan followings. If you are a SoCal vegan/vegetarian lifestyle company looking for a successful way to grow your customer base and promote your new launches, definitely secure a booth at next year’s festival. It is guaranteed to give your business a whole new level of brand awareness in the ever-flourishing animal-friendly lifestyle market!
Other attending companies: Meditation and Psychic Center, Oasis Day Spas, REBBL Elixirs, Rescue Chocolate, Share International USA, Soul Glow Sports, Cellular Resonance Healing, Farm Fresh to You, Kuli Kuli, La Venganza, La Chef Momo, TGI Vegan, Zen Comfort, The Vegan Taste, Amo Marketing, Bare Naked Botanicals, BEETxBEET LLC, Best Gumbo in the Hood, Cedar’s Mediterranean Foods, Inc., Cena Vegan, Guerrilla WearFare, India Jones Chow Truck, Humane Project, Plant Food for People, Renewal by Andersen, and Ruby Roth.
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