MNN - Mother Nature Network

In addition to food, the event featured several health and beauty providers and products. Yoga Vidya (Iygenar yoga) yoga for seniors, meditation for kids, eyebrow threading and meditation tents featured informational booths and free classes. Chiropractors, dentistries and holistic healing clinics gave free demos. And the Science of Spirituality Center offered consultations and seminars on wellness.

 

The Veggie Fest kept the little vegetarians busy, too. In the Kidzone, little tykes played "Guess the Unique Veggie," a game involving jicama, ginger root, boniato, malanga, yucca root, bitter melon and chayotes, just to name a few. There was an arts and crafts area featuring paper plate watermelons and pizzas, beaded bracelets and face paintings. A variety of photos of vegetarian animals hung throughout the zone, educating kids about being a veg-head.

 

Finally for the organic shoppers, different products and clothes were available for purchase. Visitors bought vegan cookbooks, cloth baby diapers, essential oils and all natural dog treats. I bought soap nuts — dried fruit berries which create a natural soap when agitated in water. Found in India and Nepal from the soapberry tree, the nuts clean and soften laundry the natural way.

 

This festival was a true diamond-in-the-rough treasure. Among Target superstores and commercial malls of a big suburban neighborhood was a community of people sharing their culture for food that truly has become a lifestyle worth living. For more information involving the vendors involved, check out the website!