Richmond Vegetarian Festival expects 5,000

Vegetarians didn't have it all that easy in years past if they wanted to enjoy a meal away from home.

"Twenty years ago, the only foods you could get that were vegetarian were salads or pizza," said Tony Sappal. "People would look at you weird. 'Vegetarian? How do you survive?'"

Sappal knows this because he was a vegetarian back then, and, after a period of eating meat, is back in the vegetarian fold. He's also co-owner with his wife, Alka, of India K' Raja, an Indian restaurant in Henrico County (9051 W. Broad St.) that features a menu dominated by vegetarian dishes.

Sappal also has been a supporter of the Richmond Vegetarian Festival since the beginning. He again will be one of the restaurant vendors at the seventh annual event Saturday at Bryan Park from noon to 6 p.m. in the azalea gardens.

"That first year, I was very skeptical," said Sappal. "But it's really nice the vegetarian festival is becoming bigger every year."

The festival, which attracted a crowd of 2,000 that first year and is expected to draw an estimated 5,000 on Saturday, will feature music, speakers and, of course, food. More than a dozen restaurants and food vendors -- from Africanne on Main to Vegan Express Desserts -- will be selling vegetarian dishes.

The mission of the festival is to highlight a vegetarian diet as well as the local resources available to make vegetarianism a practical choice, said Christopher D. Patterson, founder of the festival.

"I think it's easier to be a vegetarian now than ever," Patterson said. "There are so many specialty stores, and even major food stores have natural-food sections that cater to vegetarianism. We really want to get the message out to people who are thinking about [vegetarianism] or are interested in hearing more about it."

Vegetarians arrive at their diet choice for a variety of reasons. Patterson, a veterinarian in Henrico County, is a vegetarian largely because of his concern over the treatment of animals. Sappal, who happily prepares meat dishes at his restaurant, said he prefers to maintain a vegetarian diet simply because it makes him feel better.

"I feel light after eating," he said. "The digestion is easy on you. That's really all it is."

At the festival, Sappal will offer an assortment of dishes, including chana masala (chickpeas cooked with fresh herbs and spices in a ginger and garlic sauce) with rice, mushroom jaismandi (whole mushrooms cooked in a creamy mint sauce) with rice, samosas (triangular-shaped pastry turnovers stuffed with mildly spiced potatoes and peas) and mango lassi (a mango and yogurt shake). Indian cuisine is a natural choice for vegetarians, Sappal said, because many dishes rely on lentils and other beans rather than meat.

There are different levels of vegetarianism -- from so-called flexitarians who eat a semi-vegetarian diet or vegans who eschew all animal products -- but Patterson said he's more interested in the bigger picture and less about definitions and rigid guidelines.

"To me, if someone is eating vegetarian once a week and cutting down on animal products," he said, "that's great."

Contact Bill Lohmann at (804) 649-6639 or .