Vegan Food Expert Erika Hazel

Photo credit: Jeff Littman Photography

Bay Area native Erika Hazel introduced the Bizerkeley Food Festival to plant-based food enthusiasts in 2020 to support small businesses. Today, the vegan food festival attracts more than 5000 people for a day of plant-based food and art.

Throughout her life, Erika says she dabbled with vegetarianism since her youth, noting compassion to animals. While in college, she says she became a vegan put once back with family who were not, she reverted back. Then there was a documentary that changed her life once and for all.

“It was a social experiment where they took like maybe 5 or 6 people and took them on a journey like college course on who to become a vegan and it was so powerful and so impactful, it took me like three sessions to finish watching it. But by the time I watched it and the credit rolled, I said okay I’m a vegan now,” says Erika about the film “Vegucated.”

However, her new lifestyle didn’t come without hesitations. ” I think my biggest fear was that Thanksgiving was never going to the same. Christmas dinner and New Year’s Day was never going to be the same because we grew up with Black southern traditions of black-eyed peas and collard greens and fried chicken on New Year’s Day,” she say. ” But long and behold, everyone wrapped around me.”

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Creating a Vegan Food Festival for Everyone

In 2020 when the pandemic also delivered doses of uncertainty to businesses, Erika launched an online bingo game to support vegan food businesses at risk of going out of business. As the world created a new normal, the Bizerkeley Food Festival transitioned into in-person vegan food festival and this past Labor Day, welcomed more than 5000 vegan food enthusiasts.

The festival is a day of plant-based fun for the entire family. From local and national businesses to art and even dancing, Erika has created a vegan food festival where all are welcomed, whether you consider yourself a vegan or not.

Learn more about Erika and the Bizerkeley Food Festival on the website.