Vegan Bake Sales Sweep Through D.C.

Standing in front of stacks of sticky buns and piles of peanut butter whoopee pies Saturday, Gary Lowenthal says there’s a big misconception about vegan foods. People think they can't include chocolate, or compare to the treats they're used to.

Lowenthal is a vegan and vigorous defender of animal rights in the food industry. But three years ago, he decided to hold a bake-sale, instead of a protest.

"I think they already have a positive connotation of bake sales," says Lowenthal. "And when they see what a variety we have and they see how good it is…it's pleasing for them and gets them to think about vegan foods."

Loewenthal’s world-wide vegan bake sale has caught on. It started here in front of the Falls Church Community Center three years ago, and it's now spread to six continents and raised $100,000.

"We didn't have much of a budget," he says. "We're an all volunteer group running on a shoe-string, but we had some great help from blogs and so forth."

With vegan bake sales scheduled all over the area this week, Lowenthal says people are starting to coming around.

Bakers will be holding vegan bake sales in the D.C. area this week: May 1 at the Takoma Park farmers market in Maryland and Flow Yoga Center in D.C.,