The vegans are organizing! If you haven’t heard about the new vegan food festival and drink sampler by now, get ready to be excited—the first Vegan Invasion is this July.

Featuring a growing list of vegan food vendors (including The J. Mobile, Comfort Candy, Crepe & Spoon, Evans Organic Eatery, Hope’s Vegan Kitchen, Keiko’s Kitchen, Radical Eats, Prairie Vegan Pies, Seed Cafe, Spinning Wylde, Vegan East—and of course, Reverie Mobile Kitchen and The Herbivorous Butcher Food Truck), local craft brews, spirits, non-alcoholic options, as well as vegan retailers, this event is sure to leave no craving unsatisfied.

To learn more, we asked the organizers about what inspired their event and what you can look forward to—read on for a sneak peek!

What is Vegan Invasion and what led to its creation?

Organized by The Herbivorous Butcher and Reverie Mobile Kitchen, Vegan Invasion: Food Festival & Drink Sampler is a new annual event celebrating all things vegan. Vegan Invasion will host its inaugural event at Lake Monster Brewing on July 14, 2019.

Just like a beer sampler, festival attendees receive a souvenir glass and are invited to sample unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages including beer, wine, cold brew, kombucha, and craft sodas. Food and retail products from plant-based businesses are available at an additional cost. At this festival, everything—all drinks, food, and retail items—is vegan.

Vegan Invasion is inspired by festivals around the country, and we regularly talked about throwing a good party that included alcohol and food. Vegan Invasion is the outcome of those conversations. We piloted the Plant Based Showcase in 2018 and quickly realized there was a strong interest in a vegan event that brings together food and drink. This time, DJ Jake Rudh will spin records on the patio, adding an extra layer to the festive atmosphere.

We want the Twin Cities to have a fun party where we could both showcase and support the growing plant-based food and drink scene in the Twin Cities and beyond. We also want to create an environment where plant-based eaters can come and eat whatever, drink whatever, and shop without having to worry about labels. There is so much creativity, passion, and innovation going on in the Twin Cities right now based around creative food and craft drinks, this just seems like a great time to join the celebration.

Together, The Herbivorous Butcher and Reverie both have a great deal of festival experience. As the first vegan food and drink sampler event in the Twin Cities, were there any other events that influenced the creation of Vegan Invasion?

We’re big fans of craft beer festivals and there are so many great ones around the state; we like the convivial spirit amongst breweries and the way they foster creativity and innovation. We hope our festival will do the same for both the beverage and the food side of things. Twin Cities Veg Fest has been an annual plant-based festival for over seven years and they have been inspirational and supportive to so many of us; it is now the largest plant-based festival in the entire Midwest and a super fun event to attend.

Vegan Street Fair in North Hollywood was instrumental in the logistics behind organizing vendors. There is an art to what they do, and their assistance put us light years ahead of where we would have been otherwise. The Herbivorous Butcher has also been a vendor at EatDrinkVegan and Coachella, both of which provided insight into what is needed to plan an event of this proportion.

Were there any takeaways from the events you’ve been at across the country that you wanted to bring into the event?

We admire the structure of Vegan Street Fair and its dedication to hosting a truly inclusive event. Events can be quite cost prohibitive to both vendors and attendees, so we kept accessibility in mind when selecting pricing structures.

We’ve enjoyed drooling over wild food creations and have encouraged our prepared food vendors to think outside the box and come up with some Instagram-worthy dishes. Festivals such as ours are the perfect time to try new things and attract both new and returning customers.

Is there anything you want Vegan Invasion attendees to leave with?

We hope that everyone who attends has fun, meets new people, and is introduced to new businesses. Our ultimate goal is to enhance community.

How can folks get their ticket?

Head to veganinvasionmn.com for ticket information.

General admission is $25 through July 13 and $30 the day of the event. We also have a VIP option, as well as ticket options for designated drivers and attendees who are underage.

Is there anything else you’d like people to know about Vegan Invasion?

This festival is for everyone, and we want everyone to feel welcome regardless of their current food preferences. We have so many great breweries, some of them from out of town, non-alcoholic options, and there will be amazing and creative food that will make this an unforgettable experience.