Feast on this: Fargo-Moorhead’s First VegFest

All About Food | October 15th, 2015

By Suzanne Hanson

Get ready, Fargo-Moorhead -- VegFest has arrived! FM VegFest is a festival devoted to the many aspects of a healthy, plant-based lifestyle. VegFests are held in many other large metropolitan areas on a regular basis, and on Sunday, Oct. 18, you can attend the first one in our region free of charge. Since this may be a strange new world to some, here’s an overview of the scheduled events.

The doors to the Moorhead Center Mall will open at 10 a.m. The first 500 people to attend will get a swag bag filled with goodies, such as food samples and coupons. These swag bags will come in handy for picking up samples from national well-known companies like Tofurky, as well as items available for purchase from many local vendors, including baked goods, handmade soaps and farmer’s market fare.

At noon, attendees can hear Dr. Neal Barnard speak in the atrium on preventing and reversing disease. Fargo-born Barnard is an adjunct associate professor of medicine at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C., author of 17 books, numerous peer-reviewed articles and a regular guest on daytime programming such as Dr. Oz and Oprah. Dr. Barnard will be discussing the health benefits of a plant-based diet, a cornerstone of the Barnard Medical Center that is opening next spring in Washington, D.C.

After learning the science behind why a plant-based diet is the way to go, attendees can see seasoned vegan cook and food-blogger Courtney Simpson whip up some delectable vegan dishes during her “Plant Strong” cooking demonstration at 1 p.m. Courtney demystifies vegan cooking and is able to share helpful hints on how to easily incorporate plant-based dishes into any lifestyle.

At 2 p.m. Kristin Lajeunesse, author of “Will Travel for Vegan Food: A Young Woman’s Solo Van-Dwelling Mission to Break Free, Find Food, and Make Love,” discusses her 50-state journey. The New York native travelled all across the United States in an effort to document her experiences eating at all the vegan establishments she could find. Kristin is a popular figure on social media, with tens of thousands of followers throughout the world on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

At 3 p.m. Mistress Ginger, author of “Mistress Ginger Cooks!: Everyday Vegan Food for Everyone,” will delight one and all with a colorful cooking presentation. In describing Mistress Ginger, the Star Tribuneperhaps put it best: “We’ve never thought it possible to use the words ‘vegan’ and ‘glamour’ in the same sentence, until now…”

No doubt after hearing about delicious food all day, people will want to eat it. In addition to the aforementioned samples and vendors, several local restaurants will be offering up their best veggie dishes throughout the day. Expect mouthwatering mainstays from Everest Tikka House, Gigi’s Ice Lollies and Deb Jenkins, just to name a few.

So there you have it, folks -- delicious food, world-class speakers and an abundance of local and national products to peruse. This inaugural event is free and open to the public. For more information, please check out www.fmvegfest.com.

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