Chow down on veggie burgers, indulge in vegetarian quesadillas and fried rice, feast on cheese pizza and Indian pancakes. Or slurp an organic smoothie to chase down an organic watermelon slice while you watch a vegetarian virtuoso chef whip up a mouthwatering meatless meal.

All of the above culinary delights will be available at the third annual Veggie Fest, featuring food, cooking demonstrations, healthy living experts, children's crafts and live music this weekend on the grounds of the Science of Spirituality Meditation Center in Naperville.

"We're going to have a lot of food. We're going to have a lot of cooking demonstrations," said organizer Michael Ribet. "It's about promoting that vegetarianism is a very healthy lifestyle and very enjoyable.""We're expecting probably 10,000 people," said festival director Jonathan Kruger, adding that he's basing that estimate on last year's one-day attendance of more than 5,000 people. Organizers expanded this year's festival to two days due to the demand.

Ribet said visitors will see how to prepare vegetarian dishes at five food demonstration tents where experts will prepare dishes with tofu and other meat substitutes. They'll also see how to use raw ingredients to prepare meals, how to use shortcuts to make vegetarian dishes quickly and easily and how to feed children a vegetarian diet."A lot of people want to know, 'What can I give my kids that they'd be willing to eat?'" he said.

Veggie Fest also will cater to the younger set. Children's programming includes a clown, a magician, a singalong, face painting, crafts and a moon jump."It's a very family-oriented event," organizer Bob Gallagher said.Cooking demonstrations will focus on using pressure cookers and preparing French, Indian and soul food dishes. And there's even a basic, entry-level class for beginners titled "Vegetarian Cooking for Dummies."

Also on hand will be representatives from companies that offer yoga, homeopathic and chiropractic services, beauty products and supplies, naturopathic medicine and massage. And representatives from organizations dedicated to animal welfare also will be there."The idea is to promote vegetarianism and to promote the compassionate lifestyle of vegetarianism," Kruger said.

"You can walk from booth to booth," Ribet said. "There's (also) going to be a booth for people interested in learning to meditate."In all, organizers said, there will be more than 60 vendors.And then there's the music.Richard Dworsky, pianist and music director for Garrison Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion," is set to perform.

"He'll be the director for both days and he'll be performing both days," Gallagher said. Gallagher said jazz musician Howard Levy also is scheduled to take the stage. "He can do things with a harmonica you wouldn't think is possible," Gallagher said. "How does he make a harmonica sound like bagpipes?"

Jazz, bluegrass and Latino bands round out the music menu, Ribet said.Veggie Fest, one of dozens of similar festivals going on across the country, will be presented with the help of 250 volunteers, Kruger said.Tim Fior, a physician and homeopath who has a family practice based in Lombard, is one of several medical professionals scheduled to speak at the fest, where health screenings will be available.

Fior, a vegetarian since 1985, said basic research indicates that a vegetarian diet has definite health benefits."You can actually reverse heart disease," he said. "For me, it's helped me to maintain a healthy weight. It's helped me ward off cancer.

"Not everyone's ready to become a vegetarian, especially in the Midwest. We live in the land of meat and potatoes," he said. "For some people, it's harder than for others." For those people, he said, he recommends first incorporating more fruits and vegetables into the diet before switching over to an entirely meatless diet."That's the way I would encourage them to go," he said.