Want to go full vegan or simply vegan-curious? This festival will show you how...
Thousands of plant-based and meat-free eaters are expected to head over to Leeds Town Hall over the weekend of 16th and 17th June, as the biggest vegan festival in Yorkshire returns.
This popular bi-annual event will include a delicious line-up of over 150 stalls selling plant based world food. A selection of hot and cold dishes will be available to buy, spanning Asian, Mediterranean, Indian and Greek dishes, vegan hotdogs and burgers, street food, raw food and gourmet food. There will also be a huge range of meat free pies, delicious cakes, dairy free chocolates, cookies, doughnuts, sandwiches and salads to take away and plenty of free food samples to try.
To wash it all down, there’ll also be a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, juices, smoothies, tea and coffee.
A programme of inspirational cookery demos and talks will run throughout the day as well as interactive workshops, yoga classes and children's activities.
There will be a varied selection of non food stalls to browse, selling ethically produced fashion items, footwear, jewellery, vegan beauty and skincare products, candles, crafts, clothing, footwear, homeware, gifts and charity merchandise.
The Great Yorkshire Vegan Festival celebrates veganism, and is on a mission to spread the message that following a vegan lifestyle can be healthy, affordable and fun. It is a 100% volunteer-run event and all proceeds go to animal welfare charities such as Miracle’s Mission that helps to rescue, rehabilitate, neuter and re-home stray and vulnerable animals.
“With the vegan lifestyle really starting to go mainstream, there’s a massive demand for vegan-friendly events,” says festival organiser Victoria Bryceson. “Our festival is set to be a fantastic weekend out whether you’re vegetarian, vegan or simply vegan-curious. The idea behind the festival is to educate and inform everyone about the vegan lifestyle and offer support to anybody who would like to try it.”
Victoria runs similar vegan festivals, events and markets all over the UK, all with the aim of promoting animal welfare and helping people understand the changes they can make in order to live a more ethical and healthy lifestyle.
“There will be several animal welfare charity stalls raising awareness of their causes,” she added. “For anybody who would like to get involved with volunteering this is an ideal place to talk to lots of different charities and gather information from all the stall holders.”
“It’s all about opening people’s eyes to new possibilities,” continues Victoria. “Cutting out meat and dairy from your diet is easier than you might think and many people are increasingly looking for alternatives as they want to live more healthily and ethically.
“They want to find out more about the new innovative foods and recipes now available and want to do it affordably. Our festival will educate people on how to do all of this.”
(No animals were harmed in the writing of this article.)
The Great Yorkshire Vegan Festival is being held in Leeds Town Hall on Saturday 16th June and Sunday 17th June from 10:30am-5:00pm.
Entry £5 for one day or £8 for both days (under 16’s free) and this includes entry to all areas and activities. Standard tickets can be purchased at the door on the day.
VIP tickets £15 - including fast track entry and a goody bag full of vegan products, samples, discounts and offers, can be purchased in advance here
