Tasty Tips & Tid Bits from the Vegan Bake Sale

Last Saturday, I participated in my first vegan bake sale. It was an awesome experience and even though it was my first time working a vegan bake sale, I learned a few things for next time. Since vegan bake sale season is in full swing right now, I thought I'd share my thoughts with others as they prepare for their vegan bake sale in their neck of the world.

* Advertise! Spread the word. Use blogs, Facebook, Twitter, whatever to get the word out. Hang fliers on community bulletin boards at churches, schools, health food stores, yoga centers, etc. Host your bake sale in conjunction with another event (which worked well for last weekend's bake sale). Hang up signs around the area of the actual event. Bring sidewalk chalk and spread the word at ground level, as well.
(Amber did a great job with the flyer)

* Recruit! Get help and ask for donations. I'm still amazed at the outpour of vegan baked good love that came to the bake sale. I was worried that we wouldn't have enough offerings, and we ended up with PLENTY!

* Variety! Have a little something for everyone, especially the gluten-free and sugar-free folks. We had two gluten-free options at our booth. The next VBS I work at, I'm going to focus more on gluten-free, as well as making something without white sugar, as we heard that request several times at the sale. Consider providing some raw options, as well.

* Presentation! Presentation is everything at a bake sale. Make sure everything is clearly labeled. Bring different colors and styles of serving dishes to add some funky style to the table. It never hurts to bring extra tables so the baked goods are nicely spread out, not piled on top of each other.

* Be Prepared! Hand sanitizer, gloves, paper towels, napkins, paper lunch bags, paper plates, disinfectant wipes, serving utensils... bring it all. And don't forget your camera!

* Information! Bring vegan cookbooks and magazines for display. Lay out a few stacks of leaflets. Offer some freebies (stickers, buttons, etc). We had several people pick up a magazine or flip through a book while they ate their baked goods or while they were waiting for the live music to start.

* Smile, smile, smile! Be a happy vegan! Let people ask questions, but don't be pushy or scary about veganism. Let the delicious vegan baked goods bring home the point and then back it up if you see fit. Vegan bake sales = tasty activism!

What are your tips for Vegan Bake Sale success? What lessons have you learned?