Gluten-free eaters won’t have to worry about any dietary restrictions at a food convention in Oaks next month.
The Wicked Gluten Free Expo comes to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center on Saturday, Sept. 7. From 10 a.m.-4 p.m., more than 100 bakeries, restaurants, brands and food trucks, and, for the first time, a pop-up pizzeria, will be giving out samples and spreading knowledge about living a gluten-free lifestyle.
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Wicked Gluten Free Founder Abby Helman Kelly said she used to follow a similar event that took place in the area. After it ceased operations during the pandemic, she decided to host something herself — though not before asking a friend familiar with the local scene.
“I said, ‘Hey, are there any expos happening down there? I don’t want to step on any toes.’ He said, ‘No, I haven’t heard a thing.’ So I said, ‘Okay, we’re doing it,'” Helman Kelly said.
The event will feature samples of calzones, cheesesteaks, pretzels, empanadas, doughnuts and more from vendors across the country. Philly-area companies High Fidelity Baker, SouthHouse, Laine’s Gluten Free Bakery, Little Brown Bird Bakery, Dough & CO, Country Hammer Moonshine and Living Smart Granola, among others, will be among the vendors.
Helman Kelly first launched Wicket Gluten Free as an expo in Connecticut after she cut gluten from her diet in an attempt to clear up eczema. She’s now hosted events across the New England area and has additional expos scheduled in Boston and Connecticut.
“Every year I do this, more and more people are being diagnosed with celiac disease because so many people are undiagnosed. They don’t realize they have it,” Helman Kelly said. “So every year the audience gets bigger and bigger, and it really is a festival. It’s like a celebration because you can come in and you can eat anything you want.”
Wicked Gluten Free Expo
Saturday, Sept. 7 | 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Tickets: $30 for adults, $10 for kids
Greater Philadelphia Expo Center
100 Station Ave, Oaks