Veggie Fest Chicago is one of the largest vegetarian food and lifestyle festivals in North America. Veggie Fest has become a highly anticipated summer event in the Chicagoland area. The two-day festival—July 23 & 24, which drew record-breaking crowds of over 35,000 people from around the world last year, will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. both days at the Science of Spirituality Meditation Center, 4045 Naperville Rd., Lisle, IL 60532.
Vegetarian fairs and expos are happening all over the world and in twenty states in the U.S. They all have vegetarian fairs and expos — lots of them. Vegan or vegetarian, it’s the most popular food trend in the world today and growing exponentially.
The Veggie Fest Chicago will have a huge international food court; health professionals speaking on diet, lifestyle, and environmental issues; engaging food demos by restaurant owners, chefs, and authors; an incredible children’s tent with face painting, clowns, and crafts; live music from some of Chicago’s best bands; over 100 vendor booths to explore.
“Veggie Fest is a weekend of family fun with something for everyone to enjoy,” said Veggie Fest coordinator, Jonathan Kruger. “It’s really exciting to see the growing interest in vegetarianism and healthy living.”
Keynote speakers at Veggie Fest this year include:
Speaking on “Nutrition and Heart Disease: Taking the DIE out of Diet,” on Saturday is Dr. Kim Allan Williams, Sr., M.D. President, American College of Cardiology, Chief, Division of Cardiology, Rush University Medical Center and past president of the American College of Cardiology. New to the festival this year is an opportunity for attendees 18 and up to receive free health screenings from Dr. Williams.
Participants will be given an estimate of their risk for cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke, by testing blood sugar levels, cholesterol, and body mass index. Dr. Williams, along with his team of health providers, will offer private consultations and referral information. Prospective participants should come prepared with health information, including medications and medical history. Healthy snacks will be provided.
Also presenting a case for healing through a plant-based diet at Veggie Fest is Dr. Terry Mason MD, Chief Operating Officer, Cook County Department of Public Health. Dr. Mason returns to also speak on “The Public Health Approach to Breast Cancer” on Sunday, July 24.
“I am honored to be able to participate in Veggie Fest again this year. This is such an important event and provides an opportunity to educate people about the merits of how to eat to really live. The approach is holistic in scope and family oriented. I am always happy to participate in Veggie Fest,” said Dr. Mason.
Also keynoting is Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj, head of Science of Spirituality, a worldwide organization dedicated to transforming lives through meditation.
There are dozens of informative talks on health, spirituality, and green living that you can attend as part of the Spirituality & Health Symposium at Veggie Fest—Arran Stephens, founder and CEO of Nature’s Path Organics, Inc., is among the other speakers.
Some of the booths are dedicated to helping visitors learn how to meditate, learn how to be vegetarian (and get questions answered), and guests can also take the Vegetarian Challenge to “pledge to go veg” for 14 days, with plenty of recipes and tips to make the two weeks as a vegetarian tasty and enjoyable.
Those interested in healthy living will also find dozens of vegetarian cooking demos to enjoy from cookbook authors, chefs, and restaurant owners. Veggie Fest sponsors, including Whole Foods, Nature’s Path Organics, and Manna Organics will all be back to Veggie Fest demo tents this year to wow us with their delicious recipes, as will Karyn Calabrese, Chicago’s premier vegan and raw restaurateur and champion for holistic living. From vegetarian, vegan, and raw food dishes, to gluten-free, Indian cuisine, sushi, Red Chili Tofu Tacos, and veggie lasagna, there’s a demo for everyone’s palate.
Free admission, free parking, and planners say there is tons of fun for the whole family. The public is invited to come for the food, fun, live music and vendor booths to explore, as well as the huge children’s tent and food demos by chefs, authors, and restaurant owners.
For more information about Veggie Fest Chicago 2016 go to www.veggiefestchicago.org
