WORCESTER – The New England VegFest invaded the DCU Center on Sunday, bringing a celebration of vegetarianism to Central Massachusetts.

Using multiple floors of the convention center, VegFest included samples of vegetarian, vegan and environmentally sustainable food, as well many booths of informative material.

I’m as omnivorous as they come, enjoying both plant-based food and meats, so VegFest was a bit of an eyeopening experience.

Here are seven things I learned at the event:

The VegFest is a big deal. Thousands of people filled the DCU Center to try samples, buy products and learn about vegetarian and vegan lifestyles. This was the seventh annual VegFest presented by nonprofit VegWorcester and the second with the New England designation. With about 100 exhibitors on hand, it’s not a little mom-and-pop event.

Broghies are a thing, and they’re pretty tasty. Broghies are a corn-flourbased snack shell similar to a rice cake. Made fresh by Cliff Davis of Keifer’s Kettle Korn of Griswold, Conn., they literally shoot out from the machine that makes them and can basically be used in place of bread or served with spreads on them.

Not a bad little treat.

Chocolate can be fuel for athletes, according to Perfect Fuel. The Boston company handed out bitesized samples of its organic chocolates, which Director of Operations Miles Masci says can increase endurance and provide a healthy energy boost. And they don’t taste too bad. It’s a performance- enhancing substance I can get behind.

Vegan bakeries produce some crazy things. No eggs or dairy? No problem.

Bakeries like Vegan Treats Bakery of Bethlehem, Pa., showed that amazing desserts are still possible in the vegan world. Doughnuts, cupcakes, cookies …

The visually stunning and delicious morsels made for a long line at the Vegan Treats Bakery corner of the convention center.

Vegans craving an acceptable version of meat candy need look no further than eggplant bacon. Yes, that exists. Strips of eggplant are marinated with flavors and spices and then dehydrated. It looks a bit like beef jerky and the flavor is – to be nice – interesting. I certainly won’t be asking for it at breakfast anytime soon; mock meats aren’t for me.

While VegFest featured tons of samples of goods promoting a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, it wasn’t just about food or simply vegetables. Several booths featured organizations giving out information on rescue animals and sustainable, non- cruel farming techniques. Being animal- friendly is a big – and obvious, given the vegetarian/ vegan stance of many there – talking point at VegFest.

After free samples, demonstrations were the big draw. On the third floor of the convention center, several speakers made presentations to hundreds in a packed meeting room. Beverly Lynn Bennett – a vegan chef, writer and animal advocate – had an especially compelling presentation, preparing a couple vegan recipes and illustrating them in a step-by-step manner.

Perfect Fuel’s Miles Masci puts out samples of his company’s organic chocolates.