Event recap: Cruelty Free Festival, 2012

This was my second year in attendance and I must say, this event is getting bigger and better. Much kudos to the wonderful people at ARA for organizing it!
There food demos, talks, raffles, lots of product stalls and information stalls from animal rescue groups, environmental groups, activists, etc. There was also live entertainment and kids activities.
The biggest draw card, I felt, were the food stalls. There were way more than last year, and I did my best to sample the wares... My biggest mistake? I didn't bring a container to take food home! Next time!

The event took place in Subiaco again and it was packed. There definitely were more people in attendance this year, than last and it was so nice to see people bring along their kids..and their dogs! There were a lot of pooches there, along with greyhounds up for adoption.
It was so nice to see so many familiar faces, but also to meet new people, chat to stall holders, and to soak up the positive vibes, in general.
Naturally, I took a lot of photos. What follows is just a small sample.

Pictured to the left is Geoff's famous 'not-dog'. Well, half of it actually! It is much longer than that, but I was so keen to get stuck into it, that I forgot to take a photo first! This is a gorgeously spicy vegan sausage that has fooled many a meat eater. I am not keen on mock meat - especially the kind that tastes and feels a little too much like meat. This item hits a wonderful balance - delicious but not too 'meaty' for my tastes. Oh, and they are all handmade! Needless to say, Geoff's stall sold hundreds and ran out before the event was over.



At the same stall were sausage rolls and Ric's awesome pies. I had the corn mornay one, which was delish and creamy.
Also to one side of this stall, was a sweets stall, run by some friends. For sale were biscuits, cupcakes, cakes, and various other sweets. I do believe that they sold out of items, as well, and no wonder considering how wonderful everything looked! You could tell a lot of effort and care went into the making of these goodies!

Out the front of the stall was a lovely lady who was offering to take people's email addresses so the recipes of these items on sale, could be sent to them. What a great idea!

As it transpired, the lady in question turned out to be none other than fellow vegan blogger Vegan Sparkles ! It was so nice to finally meet her in person!

After stuffing ourselves for a bit, my partner and I went and checked out the stalls. We especially liked the Sea Shepherd stall, ARA stall, and PAWS stall. And then I spotted the stall by Edgar's Mission! I heard that they were coming, and were so pleased! Based in Victoria, they are a farm animal sanctuary and do a lot of important rescue work and are also active in educating school students and the public at large, on animal issues. If you haven't heard of them before, please check out their website. As I listened to the stall holder speak, it dawned on me that it was none other than Kyle whom I have seen on videos by Edgar's Mission and in lots of photos. That is when I had my fangirl moment! Kyle was very sweet about it, giving me a hug and letting me have his photo taken with him. My partner thought is was all very amusing...hehe. Well, what can I say? Some women get all fangirly over sportsmen, actors, singers, etc..For me, it is compassionate, vegan activists!

Speaking of meeting awesome people...I got to meet this awesome little guy. His name is Jolly and he is cutey! He was a very popular little fellow! I love pigs. They are smart and have a lot of character, and are very dog-like.

Wandering around for a bit, we also came across the greyhounds that were up for adoption. Now, the greyhounds are the one breed of dog that suffers a lot at the hands of humans. I had no idea until I was told about it. No wonder there is the need for rescue groups for these gentle creatures. If you were like me - in the dark about the greyhound racing industry - read about it here and work to educate others.

Although all the greyhounds there were gorgeous, here was one greyhound that caught my attention and heart. Her name is Chloe. She was sweet, placid and affectionate to all that took their time to give her a bit of attention and kindness. Having two cats and a small home, I am in no position to adopt, but I do hope some met her on the day and opened their hearts and home to her. This is a photo of her with my partner.



After a while, it was time for some dessert, so my partner and I split a tub of dairy free, vanilla icecream, topped with crushed oreos, from Loving Hut. Yum!

It did rain a little on the day, though not for too long. It certainly did not affect the crowd attendance, from what I could gather. I am looking forward to next year's event and WILL be bringing an empty lunchbox to take food home!