Victoria Vegan Fest

Taking a break from Victoria Vegan Fest this year …
Watch this space for news on 2016!

EVENT REPORT

The silent auction was a blast! We raised over $900 thanks to all our supporters, who also got to take home some great prizes, due to an incredible array of donations!

Some interesting highlights:

• the single highest bid was $80 for the Vega gift bag (followed by Tattoo Zoo and LMNaturel’s retreat, both with bids of $71 each)
• only one item received a bid higher than it’s listed value - $25 was bid for a $24 Vegan Police t-shirt =)
• 8 was the top number of bids on any item, also the Vega gift bag

Enjoy our gallery below, and thank you again to all our supporters!!

Event Details:

RSVP now on our Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/259165234269995/

Festivals have a lot of expenses, and we’re hosting a Silent Auction Fundraiser at Green Cuisine on Friday, June 20th from 6-8pm!

We’ll have a wide array of items to bid on that will be of particular interest to vegans in the community, keep an eye on the list below and more are coming! Thank you SO MUCH to all our generous supporters for their amazing donations. (Note: we will accept cash, cheque, or credit cards at the auction.)

AUCTION ITEMS
Current value: <$2,200 Total

From Martycultural Art
Limited Edition (#1  of 25) giclee of the Fisgard Lighthouse on canvas
Value: $295 Starting bid: $150

From Paradox Delilah, Photographer
Three separate prints  - turkey, pig and cow at an Australian sanctuary (photo)
Value: $100 each Starting bid: $45 each

From Vega
Large Vega Goodie Pack (photo)
(Vanilla & Chocolate All-In-One Shake, Tropical Tango Protein Smoothie,
Antioxidant Omega Oil, Maca Powder, Chlorella Tablets, Vega T-shirt (med) and Vega Ankle Sock.)
Value: $200 Starting bid: $80

From Deb Gleason
Esther’s Kitchen Coaching Package (details)
Value: $150 Starting bid: $60

From LMNaturel
$120 Gift Certificate for
Eagle’s Nest Vegan Retreat on Galiano Island (photo)
Starting bid: $50

From Sarah Kramer
One of a kind pig painting by best selling vegan cookbook author Sarah Kramer. (photo)
Included with the pig painting is a 10th anniversary edition of How It All Vegan autographed by Sarah.
Value: $Priceless! Starting bid: $45

From Tattoo Zoo
Gift Certificate for $100 (photo)
Starting bid: $40

From Lysanne or Darrelle at Equinox Health Clinic
60 Minute Massage (photo)
Value: $89 Starting bid: $30

From Lifestyle Markets
$75 Gift Certificate (photo)
Starting bid: $35

From Lush Cosmetics on Gov’t St
One (1) Relax More box & one (1) Little Green Bag (photo)
Value $46.95 & $25.95 Starting bids: $20 & $10

From Ergogenics Nutrition
One Organic Whole Greens Hemp Pro-Series (photo)
Value $65 Starting bid: $25

From Lotus Pond Vegan Restaurant
Gift Certificate for $60 (photo)
Starting bid: $25

From Cadence at Patisserie Daniel
One vegan Belgian Chocolate Berry Torte cake (photo)
Value: $56.95 Starting bid: $20

From Vegan Police
Two (2) women’s vegan t-shirts (photo)
Value: $24 (each) Starting bid: $10 (each)

From Vegan Essentials
Gift Certificate for $50
Starting bid: $20

From Market on Yates
Gift Basket with Vegan Goodies (photo)
Value: $50 Starting bid: $20

From the Victoria Vegan Fest
Gift Pack featuring our t-shirt, baggy, buttons and stickers
Total Value: $50 Starting bid: $20

From Robert Cheeke & Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness & Vegan Health & Fitness Magazine
Gift Pack with signed copy of Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness book,
copy of Vegan Health & Fitness Magazine & 9x Vega nutrition bars (photo)
Total Value: $50 Starting bid: $20

From ProBar
1 box of Tropical Trail Mix bars (photo)
Value: $45 Starting bid: $15

From Ingredients Organic Market & Deli
Vegan gift basket with $25 Gift Certificate (photo)
Total Value: $40 Starting bid: $15

From Hemp & Co.
Vegan Body Pack (soap & lip balm) + $25 Gift Certificate (photo)
Starting bid: $15

From Pure Lovin’ Chocolate
One $25 Gift Certificate (photo)
Starting bid: $10

From Good Planet Co
One Full Circle Wherever Water Bottle (photo)
Value: $25 Starting bid: $10

Note: At the auction we’ll accept cash, cheque, or credit card.

Festival Event Details

On the main stage, we’re excited to welcome back Vesanto Melina, vegan dietician, as a speaker. Also, Deb Gleason, vegan coach and chef, and Fireweed, ecofeminist vegan. Full details on our presenters here. We’ll also have two cooking demos, ‘A Vegan Taste of  México’ and ‘A Speedy Death By Chocolate’!We’ll also be wrapping up with a Vegan Discussion Panel, a first for the VVF! Click here for the full schedule.

We have another amazing assortment of vendors for 2014! Visiting from the US is Beanfields Snacks*, and returning from Vancouver is Fairy Cakes*. All other vendors are proudly Vancouver Islanders, and we’re excited to welcome Arbonne (a la Lori Wheeler), Buns Boutique, Dad’s Awesome Sauces*, Diablo’s Tacos*, The Edge Food Company*, Good Seed Hemp Company*, Pure Lovin’ Chocolate*, Rawthentic Victoria* and the Vegan Police. All our vendors are 100% vegan, and our event is unique in highlighting and celebrating vegan companies. (* indicates food samples and/or for sale)

We’ve expanded our range of non-profits, and are looking forward to seeing Animal Voices, the Fur-Bearer Defenders, Loveavore, Mercy for Animals, OrganicAthlete Victoria, Sea Shepherd, The Victoria Vegan and VCARE - all working in BC to speak up for animals!

Other News

* read about our Silent Auction!

* We have a fun new interview series: This is What a Vegan Looks Like - check it out!

* Help get word out, download our poster (PDF) and print up a few for stores or coffee shops you frequent!

* We’ll soon be announcing our speakers, vendors and non-profits! We’re happy to welcome back a number of vendors, plus a few new surprises!

* We’ll have a couple more FUNdraising events coming up, including a Silent Auction!

Keep up-to-date, make sure you’re following us on Facebook and Twitter! Our hashtag this year is #VVF2014, spread it around!

Looking back:

* Our bake sale was a success, with lots of goodies, check out our report here!

* We had a great discussion after the screening of The Ghosts in Our Machine, catch up here including video of the full discussion.

* The Seattle Veg Fest was a hoot, we spoke with hundreds of people, and hopefully we’ll see a bunch of you on Canada Day!

Keep an eye on this page for updates, looking forward to seeing you on Canada Day!!

- Dave and the VVF Crew

The Volunteer Team for the 2013 Victoria Vegan Fest has been working around the clock to bring you another vegan-tastic event, we can hardly wait for the day to arrive!

Some highlights for this year are the return of Gardein and Fairy Cakes, and we’re excited to welcome Field Roast and The Edge Food Energy Bar as well! Our headline speakers will be the mighty Robert Cheeke, and the wonderful Ginny Messina, aka The Vegan RD. Of course Friends of Animals will be here, and we’re happy to welcome back the Fur Bearer Defenders.

All this in the historic Market Square, on the doorstep of primary event sponsor and vegan restaurant Green Cuisine!

UPDATE: Our full schedule is now posted, click here. We’re also holding a raffle, you can view the prize listing here. Tickets will be $2 each, or 3 for $5 and available at the VVF Info & Merch table at the Festival!

Photos from 2013: our Main Stage, Vendor and Non-Profit Tables, and a packed Classroom!

Thanks for helping to get word out on the event, via Facebook, Twitter (use the hashtag #VVF2013) and anywhere else you can, we look forward to seeing you Canada Day!

- The Victoria Vegan Festival Team

This Saturday is our 4th Annual World Wide Vegan Bake Sale Day event!

We’ve got a bunch of volunteer bakers whipping up a frenzy in the kitchen, and all will be for sale at Green Cuisine, from 12-4pm!

This is one of our primary fundraisers, so we hope you’ll join us and load up on vegan goodies, dontcha dare miss it!

TONIGHT we are having a meeting for the 2013 Victoria Vegan Festival located in Market Square and we would love to have you attend. The meeting will be at Green Cuisine at 6:30. Come early at 6 and have dinner with us. 🙂

We’re looking for people to join our amazing team for the Second Annual VVF, in Market Square on July 1st (Canada Day) – we’re looking for people who want to help promote veganism, and have several hours they can spare each month leading up to the event.

Nearly all our organizing team from the 2012 are returning, but in order to make it even bigger and more successful, we’re hoping to draw in a few more people so that we can accomplish even more!

If you’re keen, or would like to find out more about what’s involved, come to our first planning meeting, this Wednesday (Jan 23rd), 6:30pm at Green Cuisine (join us at 6pm if you’d like to get a bite to eat and chat a bit first.)

Hope you’ll join us in making this one of the best vegan festivals in North America!!

Hey everyone!
We’re getting the ball started for 2013! Once again, we’ll be on July 1st, Canada Day in Market Square, and hoping to make it bigger and better, with your help – the first year  was incredible thanks to many of you!!

Our first meeting will be on Wed, January 23rd (at Green Cuisine) at 6:30pm - to brainstorm ideas, and figure out what needs to be done sooner-than-later, and all that fun jazz. Please let me know if you can make this, we’ll begin meeting once a month starting then. Once again, we’re going to need a team of Captains, and  hope you’ll take that on. =)

Vegan Fest to Take Over Market Square on Sunday

For Immediate Release - June 13th, 2012

Introducing Victoria’s First Ever Vegan Festival
Vegans up-front and center on Canada Day

Vegans in Victoria, British Columbia, will never be so visible as on Canada Day, July 1st, as the first annual Victoria Vegan Fest will be held downtown in Market Square from 12 noon to 5pm. The event is a celebration of veganism, and will feature over two dozen tables from vegan businesses and non-profits, as well as numerous activities for kids and a full schedule of speaker presentations, cooking classes and fun entertainers.

“We’ve assembled a crack team of amazing local vegan volunteers to organize this most fantastic festival” explains famed local vegan celebrity and event co-organizer Sarah Kramer, author of seminal vegan cookbook masterpieces like How It All Vegan and La Dolce Vegan, as well as running Sarah’s Place, a cool vegan boutique located in Market Square.

“It’s going to be an amazing day for adults and kids,” Kramer continues. “Our presenters cover a wide range of topics, from vegan nutrition, cooking classes to activism, and we have some really fun activities lined-up for kids of all ages. Greg, a vegan juggler, will be on the main stage entertaining the crowd and later in the day will teach a class on how to juggle! The Ukabellas (a local Victoria ukulele trio) will also be performing and I’ll be hosting a game show called Canada’s Next Top Vegan.  It should be lots of fun! We’re also thrilled that Shannon Mann from Sea Shepherd (and TV’s Whale Wars) is able to join us to do a presentation.”

“It’s amazing it’s taken this long to see this type of festival here, as Victoria is known as being a top vegan-friendly city in North America, and I’m very excited to help bring it to light with Sarah,” says Dave Shishkoff, co-organizer, and Canadian Correspondent for Friends of Animals, an international animal advocacy organization that has been promoting veganism and animal rights in Victoria for the last six years.

“Victoria has a total of four vegan shops,” Shishkoff highlights, “two of which came about in the last year (Vshoen and Sarah’s Place) with long-standing icons Green Cuisine and Lotus Pond holding the front for the last decade. Considering that cities like Portland have a whole strip mall of entirely vegan shops, there’s no reason we can’t accomplish that here. An event like this proves that Victorians are progressive and forward-thinking, and concerned about animal issues and willing to act on that concern, and I’m looking forward to speaking more on this at the event as well.”

Please join all of us from the Victoria Vegan Festival Society on Canada Day to celebrate our vegan Victoria! Visit www.VictoriaVeganFest.com for more information..

Website: VictoriaVeganFest.com
Twitter: twitter.com/VicVeganFest
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/366490810040668/
Email: info@victoriaveganfest.com

More on Sarah: GoVegan.net
More on Dave: TheVictoriaVegan.com & FriendsofAnimals.org