I'll be there.. my pic is posted in the Photos section... but I don't know when or for how long, as we're going to the Hockey Game at Key arena afterwards, and I'm not sure how long my teens will be interested in VegFest...

I noticed that too when I went there jeffrey. The guy behind the counter (presumably the owner) was pretty surly. That may have colored my opinion of the food somewhat.

I went this afternoon, and the counter guy was somewhere between brusque and surly. The pizza was okay, but not outstanding. Very stingy on the sauce and the pseudo-cheese, and the crust was very thin. I'd rather see a thicker, puffier crust.

Hey! I went to VegFest last night. It was fun, but crowded - hard to push a stroller through that crowd! I heard a really good nutrition talk by Dr. Heather Woods of Bastyr University (where I hope to get a degree in nutrition myself once my kids get older) and it was really inspiring.

We bought a whole bunch of refrigerated and frozen stuff for 75 cents ref/$1.50 frozen, and as soon as we got out the door we heard them announce the price was lowering to 50 cents ref/$1.00 frozen! We were kicking ourselves. So of course we went in and bought some more. Who can resist quart-sized soy delicious for just $1? :lick:

I have to say though, I am a bit "soy'ed out." I think I have enough tofu/soy burger/soy beef jerky/etc in me to last for quite awhile!

ditto, VegFest was once again awesome.

Very crowded this year, but filling up on samples, getting free recipes and discounted foods was well worth the cover price.

The guy on the megaphone from Vegetarians of Washington needs to practice deviating from mototone speech though. Yeesh that got annoying.

VegFest was so crowded I verged on hating it.

However, it was fun for my daughter. Also, my omni (though no meat) hub saw a lecture with graphs on heart attacks and says he's giving up cheese. We bought more vegan cheese for him and he says that's it for his lunchbox: pickles and tomatoes and lettuce and cheese and no meat either. We're working on him.

I really think they need a bigger venue. People around me were complaining left and right about the elbowing. It was nuts.

But a great excuse for us to get up to Seattle from Deliverance Country. Yee ha. Good samples and flyers.

OMG, GOP, the meagaphone was really annoying when you were trying to listen to a lecture.

The guy on the megaphone from Vegetarians of Washington needs to practice deviating from mototone speech though. Yeesh that got annoying.

Yeah, Stewart clings to his cultural way of speaking. Being exhausted from insisting on doing almost everything himself no doubt contributed to it.

VegFest was so crowded I verged on hating it.

I second that. Like highway traffic, part of the problem is people not thinking about how they affect the whole, but that'll never change.

However, it was fun for my daughter. Also, my omni (though no meat) hub saw a lecture with graphs on heart attacks and says he's giving up cheese.

Cool -- if it reinforced/helped along their dietary choices and was fun, then it served a good purpose.

We bought more vegan cheese for him and he says that's it for his lunchbox: pickles and tomatoes and lettuce and cheese and no meat either. We're working on him.

Sounds like good news for all of you. The number of dairy products there was disappointing to me, and at least one vendor's product appears to have contained anchovies. Did you happen to see the wheeled freezers inside each loop of tables? They had me tape posters over the Nestle/Haagen Daz graphics on their sides.

I really think they need a bigger venue. People around me were complaining left and right about the elbowing. It was nuts.

Agreed. I found the crowding to be nearly intolerable two years ago, and it's probably double the size now. Personally I would have skipped the food demo and talk areas altogether and spread the vendor tables out more, but there are reasons I'm sure why that'd never happen. I'm not familiar with the Seattle Center's other facilities, so I don't know if they have a bigger one.

OMG, GOP, the meagaphone was really annoying when you were trying to listen to a lecture.

... or try to talk to a vendor or a family member. The speakers on the left side of the hall were supposed to be disabled for that reason, but I don't think that ever happened, and the PA system isn't about useful information in the first place.

[QUOTE=colorful]Hey! I went to VegFest last night. It was fun, but crowded - hard to push a stroller through that crowd!

Oh man, I can't imagine trying to do that.

We bought a whole bunch of refrigerated and frozen stuff for 75 cents ref/$1.50 frozen, and as soon as we got out the door we heard them announce the price was lowering to 50 cents ref/$1.00 frozen! We were kicking ourselves.

Some of the vendors send a lot more refrig/frozen stuff than is sampled or sold, and rather than have to arrange for return shipping, they adjust as needed toward the end to get rid of it. I've seen similar things happen at other shows where the products have a relatively low dollar/pound ratio.

So of course we went in and bought some more. Who can resist quart-sized soy delicious for just $1?

I'm curious -- how frozen was it by the time you got it?

Oh, and Araya's is moving to somewhere on 45th in a couple of weeks -- the building is being torn down.

Good thing I didn't end up going to UW, half my reason for wanting to go there was the notion of eating at Araya's for lunch every day.

I'm missing something -- why's that a good thing?

Good thing I didn't end up going to UW, half my reason for wanting to go there was the notion of eating at Araya's for lunch every day.

I used to live right on 19th ave and 50th street when I was a student there. Araya's was just a few blocks away from me. I could even get my omni roommates to go there with me, the food was so yummy and inexpensive. :yes:

[i]I found the crowding to be nearly intolerable two years ago, and it's probably double the size now. Personally I would have skipped the food demo and talk areas altogether and spread the vendor tables out more, but there are reasons I'm sure why that'd never happen. I'm not familiar with the Seattle Center's other facilities, so I don't know if they have a bigger one.

I think it would be great if they could make it an outdoor event. Of course, it would be a lot harder for them to charge admission that way. My husband was thinking they should tape arrows on the floor throughout the room so that everybody would go in line and in the same direction. We were trying to not be part of the cutting problem at first, but after standing in one place for 10 minutes right at the first table as people shoved their way in front of us, we decided, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

Anyone going to the World Rhythm Festival this year?

I think it would be great if they could make it an outdoor event. Of course, it would be a lot harder for them to charge admission that way. My husband was thinking they should tape arrows on the floor throughout the room so that everybody would go in line and in the same direction. We were trying to not be part of the cutting problem at first, but after standing in one place for 10 minutes right at the first table as people shoved their way in front of us, we decided, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

Arrows would be pretty much ignored, I think. If it were outdoor, weather would be a real issue, though probably the space wouldn't cost as much.

I think they'd do better to limit the vendors to what the event's supposed to be -- vegetarian food. Dreyer's, fish products, a chiropractor, and some weird sort of motivational speaker / cult booth don't belong.

Never heard of it.

http://www.swps.org/wrf/

This is a great annual event at the Seattle Center which spans the May 20 to 22nd weekend this year. Percussion from all around the world. Free workshops, free drum classes, free dance classes, great food and crafts, puffing on the lawn, etc.

Anyone interested in seeing Howard Dean speak in Vancouver on April 12th? I can get one more free ticket through my school, or tickets can be purchased for $11 through TicketsWest.

http://wsunews.wsu.edu/detail.asp?StoryID=5037

That'd be interesting, if I could go - but no - too far for this chick.

Anyone interested in seeing Howard Dean speak in Vancouver on April 12th? I can get one more free ticket through my school, or tickets can be purchased for $11 through TicketsWest.

http://wsunews.wsu.edu/detail.asp?StoryID=5037

There are plenty of comedy shows right down here in WA.
Howard (http://www.drudgereportarchives.com/data/downloads/20040120_145003_dean.mp3)

There are plenty of comedy shows right down here in WA.
Howard (http://www.drudgereportarchives.com/data/downloads/20040120_145003_dean.mp3)

:rolleyes:

There are plenty of comedy shows right down here in WA.
Howard (http://www.drudgereportarchives.com/data/downloads/20040120_145003_dean.mp3)

Vancouver is in Washington.

oic

I'm a bit late (as always) for the VegFest discussion, but I wasn't whelmed by it this year - due to the massive overcrowding. Some of the food was delish but it was just too hard to get around. I'm not claustrophobic but I felt like it for awhile that day. On the positive side, it's cool that the 'fest has outgrown its space. :)

I also didn't appreciate picking up some CSA info and finding out about all the meat products I could get from various farms. While on paper I can somewhat appreciate seeing that omnis have different options from the styrofoam aisles at QFC, it was poor planning to have that info at *Veg*Fest.

My favorite sample: raspberry/white chocolate soy cream. :drool: Too bad I didn't see it on the Double Rainbow website when I checked! :grr:

My favorite sample: raspberry/white chocolate soy cream. :drool: Too bad I didn't see it on the Double Rainbow website when I checked! :grr:

It may not be on their website, but it's available in stores. I've bought it at Whole Foods.

Vancouver is in Washington.

I sort of wish they would relocate my school to B.C., that would be cool. Of course, they probably would have to stop calling it Washington State University.