Vegan Fried Cinnamon Roll from Tough Cookie Bakery. Photo by Sylvia Elzafon
When it’s deep fried, does it really matter what’s inside? Bacon, Coca Cola, cookie dough?
At the Texas State Veggie Fair Sunday, Oct. 21, discover vegan and vegetarian fare that rivals its fleshier State Fair counterparts.
White Rock area resident James Scott founded the Veggie Fair in 2010 as a “tongue-in-cheek nod to the annual State Fair of Texas” and its famous fried bubblegum, butter and bacon, etcetera, he notes.
Just as the State Fair holds the Big Tex Awards honoring fried oddities, the Texas State Veggie Fair offers the Vegan Fried Foods Awards that attract vegan chefs from around Texas. Spicy chick’n nuggets, a vegan fried Reuben and a fried pina colada dessert were among last year’s entries.
Last year the veggie fair was held at White Rock Lake and drew 2,500 attendees. This year, because of its popularity, the event has moved to Reverchon Park.
“Last year’s turnout was so good that we almost ran out of room,” says Scott. “To accommodate growth, we needed to upgrade the venue to allow for more space, food, and vendors.”
This weekend’s event includes tons of food — check out this impressive list of vendors — plus live music, carnival games, art, speakers, panel discussions and family-centric fun.
After just its second year in existence, the event was showcased in a national vegetarian food magazine‘s 99 Things You Must Do Before You Die.
