More than 70 vendors of gluten-free products from all over the United States will gather Oct. 17 for the third annual Gluten Free Vendor Fair at the Doubletree Hotel in Roswell, Georgia.

Created by the Atlanta Metro Celiacs support group, the Gluten Free Vendor Fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is free and open to the public.  Visitors will find three ballrooms filled with gluten-free food samples and information at the event, making it a veritable a mecca for anyone who must follow a gluten–free diet.

“We are expecting crowds in excess of 500 people and hope to exceed the 1,000 mark,” said Jennifer D. Harris, coordinator of the event and program chair for the Atlanta Metro Celiacs. “Can you imagine being gluten free and walking into an event where you can safely taste everything offered?  It’s really a phenomenal event.”

“This event is a fabulous way to allow people people who are following the gluten-free diet to sample products prior to purchasing,” Harris said.  “Not all gluten-free products are created equally, so being allowed the chance to sample it before purchasing it is a great way to save money and expand your product selections.”

The 70 slots available at the Gluten Free Vendor Fair filled up quickly, Harris said, with vendors from the metro Atlanta area as well as vendors from across the country. Visitors from all over the state, as well as some from Alabama, Tennessee and South Carolina, filled the hotel last year.

“Last year’s event saw many vendors travel to Georgia to staff their own tables, versus the previous year, when we just received samples,” she said.  “This shows me that our event is established as a way not only for vendors to get their products known, but as a way for them to enter the booming gluten-free market in metro Atlanta.”

While admission to the event is free, the Atlanta Metro Celiacs will be taking donations for the national Gluten Intolerance Group of North America, (GIG,) one of the leading organizations for those with celiac disease, gluten intolerance, and dermatitis herpetiformis.

“Atlanta Metro Celiacs is a local volunteer support group, serving Atlanta, its suburbs and North Georgia. Its membership consists of patients with Celiac Disease, Gluten Intolerance and/or Dermatitis Herpetiformis, their families, and those exploring if their symptoms are caused by this disease,” Harris said. “The primary objective of our group is to offer support and information to those dealing with these chronic illnesses. We are also committed to furthering the awareness of celiac sprue/celiac disease and gluten intolerance in our region through doctors, dieticians and media.”

“The Atlanta Metro Celiacs became a branch of GIG recently, so we are collecting donations as a way to give back to a national organization that does so much for the gluten-free community,” Harris added.

The Gluten Free Vendor Fair will be held at the Doubletree Hotel, 1075 Holcomb Bridge Road, Roswell, GA 30076.  For more information see the Atlanta Metro Celiacs website www.atlantametroceliacs.com or for directions, phone the hotel at 770-992-9600.