A threat of rain and slightly muddy ground did not dampen the mood for the Sept. 9 VegFest. Managed by ArtsQuest for the first time in conjunction with Animal Defenders of the Lehigh Valley this year, the festival moved out of Bethlehem to Grange Park in Upper Macungie Township.

Numerous vendors were positioned in a rough L shape from the entrance. Artsquest offered free painted temporary tattoos for children. Drinks and vegan food offerings were plentiful. There were vegan baked goods from the Bake-A-Re and vegan “ice cream” from the Bananarama food truck.

Butterhead Kitchen gave cooking demonstrations in a large tent near their booth. Following the demonstrations, which included sourcing tips for ingredients, the audience could partake of the finished products at the booth. The vegan nachos demonstration was led by Butterhead Kitchen’s owner, Jason Sizemore. Sizemore was introduced by Amber Hoppes, programming assistant for ArtsQuest. Sizemore explained the “meat” in the nachos was made “from sunflower seeds so that it would be gluten free as well as vegan.” The “sour cream” was made from cashews, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. Butterhead’s namesake puppy even made an appearance, to the delight of the audience. Butterhead Kitchen offers both online and in-person vegan cooking experiences. They are also taking orders for Thanksgiving meals. Their kitchen has an Easton address, but is located in Bethlehem Township on William Penn Highway. Visit their website at butterheadkitchen.com

Other demonstrations included food, skincare, authors and activists.

Vegan haircare was offered by Sato Salon + Spa Organics. Located in Allentown, Sato is a full service salon, and also offers vegan, gluten free shampoos and conditioners from Kavella Natural Hair Care. Owner Allison Holub has owned the salon for nine years.

The Salon offers spa services too. Visit satosalonorganics.com.

Vegfest partner Animal Defenders of the Lehigh Valley had an information booth and items for sale to appeal to all ages. Their website is animaldefendersglv.org

Perla Lopez Baray offered her namesake fragrances and soy candles. Visit her website at perlalopezbaray.com

Attendance for the weekend was about 500, a good number for the variable weather weekend. One caveat of moving the festival out of Bethlehem is the bus ride to Grange Park takes more than two hours. However, Artsquest hoped to reach a wider audience by moving the festival to Upper Macungie.