READING had more than a bit of Sparkle on Saturday, thanks to a vegan fiesta.
Stallholders, musicians and campaigners came together in Forbury Gardens for the event which celebrated a meat- and dairy-free diet.
It was organised by Sarah Zeneli, who is also behind a vegan festival which will take place in the town centre in September.
She was thrilled with how it went.
“It was fantastic,” she said. “It was the first time we’d held the fiesta and we weren’t sure how it was going to go, but we had a fantastic turn out.
“Some of the stalls sold out, and the charity stalls raised lots of money as well.”
Ms Zeneli said that it was part of a wider trend of people taking up the vegan lifestyle, and the number of people attending her events – which includes a monthly market in Wokingham town centre – is steadily increasing.
“There is a demand there. I think everybody knows someone who is vegan, even if they’re not vegan themselves,” she said.
“We have lots of people coming who are vegan, or want to find out more about veganism, or just wanting a good day out.
“They were able to try the different, amazing vegan products we had on offer. I think they can see how delicious it is, and they won’t be missing out if they have a vegan lifestyle.”
This included people having a vegan day once a week, or cutting back on their meat intake.
The event on Saturday had a welcoming atmosphere Ms Zeneli said.
“I had so many people come up to me, saying how they loved the nice relaxed vibe, and everyone was friendly,” she added.
“We had yoga sessions on the grass, people were sitting and eating the foods they’d bought from the stalls. It was a real family-friendly and relaxed day.
“I think people were just so pleased to have something to do after covid lockdowns, and to have a nice day out.”
She is now making plans for September’s Vegan Festival and hopes to announce the date for next year’s vegan fiesta.
“We’ve been asked to do more events in central Reading, which is why we launched the fiesta,” Ms Zeneli explained. “Seeing how well this year’s went, and the all the positive comments we’ve received, we’re definitely doing it again.
“We’ll hopefully announce a date for next year, which will probably be around the same time.”
The Sparkle Vegan Festival will take place on Saturday, September 17. For more details, log on to: www.sparkleveganevents.com
