Photo by Thinkstock
Adjusting to a gluten-free diet doesn’t mean one has to give up eating delicious foods. In fact, the Gluten-Free Food Allergy Fest (GFFAFest) aims to negate the fear associated with going gluten-free.
Launched in 2014, GFFAFest was the brainchild of an Indianapolis woman who was diagnosed with celiac disease, an autoimmune disease in which the body physically cannot process gluten, a component of certain grains. The festival was later acquired by "Gluten Free and More" to increase the national publication's presence in consumer-based shows around the country, and the event has expanded to six cities, including Richmond.
On Aug. 18 and 19, GFFAFest returns for the second year to the Greater Richmond Convention Center. Last year 4,000 people attended the event, according to Lindsey Bockhorst, marketing and PR director of the festival. It's estimated there will be 5,000 attendees this year, and the range of food offerings available for tasting and purchase has increased as well.
“All our exhibitors who come and have a booth at the show are all gluten-free, and a lot of them stay free of typical food allergens,” says Bockhorst.
The festival will feature lectures covering topics prevalent in the gluten-free community, including how to maintain a gluten-free lifestyle and traveling with food allergies. For gluten-free foodies, a variety of cooking demos will provide hands-on learning experiences such as how to bake gluten-free bread or pancakes, whip up cheap and easy vegan eats, and pack a protein-filled, gluten-free lunch.
“The mission is to show people [with celiac disease, gluten intolerance and food allergies] that you're not alone in this and give them the resources and products that can help them lead a better life,” says Bockhorst. “A lot of people that come out to these festivals are recently diagnosed.”
Attendees can expect to find nationally recognized vendors found in major grocery stores but can also find gluten-free exhibitors from the local area.
“We like to poll a lot of local [vendors] from each city that we go to," says Bockhorst. "We have a woman who does a lot of our exhibitor sales. She flew out to Richmond before the show last year and knocked on doors of gluten-free bakeries and different gluten-free places that she researched and heard [about] through word of mouth."
And which local purveyors did she find?
Pearl's Bake Shoppe and 7 Muffins a Day will be among the Richmond-based exhibitors at this weekend's festival.
The Gluten-Free Food Allergy Fest takes place Saturday, Aug. 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 19, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the door or online. A one-day adult pass is $15, and a two-day pass is $25; a child's one-day pass is $5, and a two-day pass is $8; children under 5 are free. Use code RichmondMag for 20 percent off admission.
