Veggie Fest patrons crowd in front of the Caribbean Kitchen booth on Saturday afternoon for a tasty of spicy veggie chicken and fried rice. The line at times stretched more than 30 people deep in the early afternoon. Jeff Cagle / For Sun-Times Media
Updated: August 13, 2011 6:00PM
Summer festivals run the gamut from blues music and wine to events named after a month of the year. This weekend in Naperville, it’s all about the veggies.The Science of Spirituality Meditation Center, 4S175 Naperville-Wheaton Road in Naperville was the site for the two-day Veggie Fest event which began Saturday morning and continues today from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The sixth annual festival once again included an amazing array of fresh vegetables that would humble any farmer’s market, plus a wide range of educational and entertainment options including musical groups, cooking demonstrations, a food court, a variety of children’s programs, various guest speakers, and more.
Event coordinator Jonathan Kruger said the first Veggie Fest drew 2,000 guests and that five years later, the total had reached over 22,000 people.
“Our international food court will likely be one of our biggest attractions, which has everything from vegetable dishes to fruits, vegetable drinks, breads, and all different types of cuisines,” Kruger said. “Our goals for this year are that everyone enjoys their day here and we hope they learn something about vegetarian diets and how easy it is to incorporate them into your everyday lifestyle.”
Kruger said that 500 volunteers from around the Chicago area and even other areas of the country came to support the event. Raymond Holmes and his wife flew in at their own expense from Washington, D.C. Holmes said has worked for Homeland Security as a program manager since 2003 and that he wouldn’t mind being the poster child for vegetarians — a lifestyle he said he has led for 37 years.
“I work out six days a week, but I wouldn’t have the energy to do that without the right diet,” Holmes said, who looked more like a linebacker for a pro football team. “People say I look like I’m maybe 40 years old at the most, but I’m actually 56. I have to credit my diet for a lot of that.”
Lisa Whitmire of Chicago said she has been a volunteer at Veggie Fest for all six years and estimated that this year’s crowd could reach 30,000 over the two-day event.
“Each year, I think more and people come for the food, friends, fellowship, and fun,” she said. “All weekend long, people just have smiles on their faces. Everything we do here we try to do with class, and we believe it’s easy to show people how they can live a healthier lifestyle. And all of these foods and ideas are very accessible — even if your friends go to a fast food place, there are healthy options for people.”
Younger workers like Naperville’s Jon Vedova, 17, who attends Naperville North High School, said being vegetarian hasn’t gotten in the way with his friends who might want to frequent a burger joint.
“I’ve volunteered now for four years, and I think with all the advertising and radio spots we’ve had, we might have our best crowd ever,” he said. “I started becoming a vegetarian when I was 8 and my whole family is too. My friends have accepted it. If they go out for burgers, I eat French fries. Because I’m vegetarian, I feel a lot cleaner inside and just think it’s a healthier lifestyle.”
The ‘Veggie Challenge’
Guests were invited to take the “Veggie Challenge” which meant going vegetarian for a week. Dan Smart of Westmont decided to sign up, adding that he hoped a vegetarian diet would help him lose weight.
“I don’t cook for myself at home, so this might be a little challenging, but I’m thinking of going over and visiting one of the booths where they are selling books and see if might find a cookbook to help me out,” he said. “I tried a veggie falafel at the food court and it was really good.”
Sahar Sander, one of the owners of the two Naf Naf Grill restaurants in Naperville, was serving up falafel sandwiches made with his own pita bread and predicted his third year at Veggie Fest would again be a success.
“We sold 2500 falafel sandwiches a year ago, and people are surprised when they try them,” he said. “Some feel they are kind of like hush puppies, but this is mid-eastern street food made with chickpeas and spices that are shaped into balls and deep fried. We’ve had a steady line of people here all day.”
Tina Willer of Willow Springs worked as a volunteer at the Veggie Challenge booth and said at least 98-percent of those who inquired at her station signed up for the challenge and that those who did would receive “85 days of email support, including tips on eating and recipe ideas.”
“We also give people special bags here with a cookbook, cereal, and granola bars in them, plus a button to wear,” Willer said. “We have 2,000 bags here today and I gave out 1,000 of them in the first two hours.”
Beyond the vegetarian culinary experience, many in attendance Saturday also spoke of “a gentler lifestyle and orientation” the vegetarian diet brings.
“I’ve been working here all six years as well as many of the volunteers here,” said Naperville resident Jenna Wolf, 25.
“Being vegetarian has improved my lifestyle and I think it also builds compassion among human beings,” she said. “You don’t have to kill another living thing, and it makes you more aware of what you are putting in your body.”
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