August 26, 2024
Get ready for an exciting day of delicious food, inspiring talks, and family-friendly fun at the 2024 Twin Cities Veg Fest! Join us on September 22 from 10 am to 4 pm at Harriet Island Park for the best Veg Fest yet, with something for everyone — whether you’re a seasoned vegan or just curious about plant-based living.
Tabitha Brown, an author and celebrity, attended last year’s festival and called it, “A beautiful day full of love, compassion, and delicious food.” Over 5,000 people (representing all types of diets) come each year for the food, music, fun, and inspiration. Compassionate Action for Animals is proud to have organized this popular, free festival for the past 12 years. Check out this link to see images from last year’s festival.
A Food Lover’s Paradise
With over 25 food trucks and food vendors, the festival offers an incredible array of plant-based dishes. From savory snacks to sweet treats, there’s something to satisfy every craving.
In addition to the food trucks, there will be various opportunities to sample free vegan food around the festival. Be sure to grab a free sample of The Herbivorous Butcher’s famous beef sticks while supplies last. Plus, the first 100 attendees will receive free swag bags filled with goodies from festival sponsors.
Fantastic Shopping Options
In addition to all the mouthwatering food, the festival features more than 75 exhibitors offering everything from jewelry and art to t-shirts and more. All products are vegan and most focus on health, climate, and animal-friendly themes — perfect for treating yourself or finding unique gifts.
Musical Features
Enjoy live music from top local musicians throughout the day. Pop sensation MAYDA, whose songs have been featured on cable networks such as Showtime and MTV, will perform on the Focus Health and Music Stage at 1:30pm.
Umbrella Bed, recognized as “one of the USA’s hidden ska gems” by Do the Dog Music, will perform at 3pm, also on the Focus Health and Music Stage.
High school marching bands and drumlines will also keep the energy high with performances all day.
Learn and Grow
There will be lots of opportunities to learn new information and skills at the American Vegetarian Association Main Stage. This stage will feature guest speakers, cooking demos and the announcement of the winner of the Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge.
Attendees can sharpen their culinary skills with fun cooking demos from talented chefs. At 11:30, watch as Lutunji Abram from Lutunji’s Palate Bakery & Cafe creates a delicious plant-based sandwich: Ms. Lutunji’s Seitan Delight. And at 2:30, learn to make Party-worthy Sauces with Lindsey Johnston from Francis Burger Joint. You’ll get to try free samples at the demos, and get recipe cards to take with you.
Learn about plant-based nutrition from Karla Moreno-Bryce a leading expert in pediatric vegan nutrition. She will debunk myths about plant-based diets for children in her talk at 10:30, “3 Common Myths about Plant-Based Diets for Children: And How to Support Their Growth.”
In her talk at 1:30, Mary Britton Clouse, co-founder of Chicken Run Rescue, will share insights on our relationships with chickens titled, “Who Cares About City Chickens and Why,” exploring both the challenges and opportunities of living with these fascinating animals.
The culmination of programming in this tent will be the Award Ceremony for the Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge. From among the 28 competing restaurants during the August challenge, we will announce the top prize for the most highly rated dish in the challenge, along with a few other prizes. Each of the restaurants created a special dish for the competition to draw people to their restaurant and see the skills of their chef.
Diners then rated their dishes to help us select the winner and for a chance at prizes. Posting about their dish on social media (@tcveganchefchallenge on Instagram, and @exploreveg on Facebook.) also garnered an entry for a gift card from one of the participating restaurants.
Restaurant chefs will be on hand at Twin Cities Veg Fest to see if they won this top prize as well as hear the other prizes being awarded for specific criteria. Join us for this long-awaited moment.
Get Active and Have Fun
This year’s festival will feature free yoga and Zumba classes, thanks to support from Ramsey County. Enjoy more outdoor fun with cornhole, croquet, giant Jenga, or hula hooping in the outdoor games area.
Let’s Beat Breast Cancer Rally
The festival will also host the Let’s Beat Breast Cancer Rally again this year. It features local experts and survivors sharing inspiring stories and tips on reducing breast cancer risk through lifestyle choices, including plant-based eating. A cooking demo and sampling during the rally will introduce attendees to foods that can help reduce the risk of breast cancer.
The rally is sponsored by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and organized by local group Borealle. More information about prevention can be found at https://www.pcrm.org/letsbeatbreastcancer.
Family-Friendly Programming
Bring the kids for a day of fun with a bouncy house, programming from CLIMB Theatre, outdoor games, and even the chance to sit in the driver’s seat of a Metro Transit bus. All this in addition to the other family-friendly activities throughout the festival. Don’t miss the visiting princesses who will be making the rounds throughout the festival!
Zero-Waste Event
We’re committed to making Twin Cities Veg Fest a zero-waste event with lots of help from our zero waste volunteers. Sign up for a slot helping people sort their disposable items in order to help make this possible. And best of all, you’ll score a swag bag with free items from our sponsors.
How to get to the festival
There are lots of ways to get to the festival. Metro Transit is offering free passes to Union Depot, with a complimentary shuttle service provided by Reverie Cafe + Bar, running from Union Depot’s Kellogg Street entrance to the festival entrance every 15 minutes.
On-site bike racks will be available at the festival entrance, and free Evie parking is provided at 200 Dr. Justus Ohage Blvd for Evie drivers. Attendees can also park at Union Depot Lots C and D for $10 and take the Reverie shuttle.
You can help make this free festival possible
All this is possible thanks to the efforts of over 150 dedicated volunteers and the generous support of sponsors and exhibitors. Their generosity enables us to keep the festival free and help spread the message of compassion to thousands who might not otherwise hear our message.
Why Support Twin Cities Veg Fest
Twin Cities Veg Fest makes a difference! More than 50% of attendees at Twin Cities Veg Fest identify as people who eat animal products. And over 85% of them leave the festival intending to decrease their consumption!
At the festival, attendees eat delicious plant-based food, learn about the whys and hows of vegan eating, and get resources and inspiration for continuing to live the plant-based lifestyle.
It costs about $2 per person, after what we bring in from exhibitors and sponsors, to put on the festival. That’s where you come in.
We need your help to bring more than 5,000 people to this year’s festival to have that life-changing experience. Support from exhibitors, volunteers, and sponsors grows every year. But we still have expenses that this support doesn’t cover.
How to support the festival financially
Gifts of any size are critical to growing our compassionate community. Every gift by August 31 is matched by generous individuals committed to helping the festival grow. That means a gift of $100 can bring 100 people to the festival!
We need to raise $10,000 to reach our attendance goal. Donate now to make a difference.
Volunteer to help us serve over 5,000 guests
Each year the festival makes use of over 150 volunteers to ensure that things run smoothly. Join us and get a free t-shirt. Sign up for a high needs area and score a swag bag with free items from our sponsors. There are lots of times and options available so pick the one that suits you best. And then be sure to leave time to visit the festival before or after your shift.
Other volunteer opportunities with CAA
Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA) hosts many events throughout the year, including Twin Cities Veg Fest, Vegan Recipe Club, cooking classes, potlucks, outreach events, and so much more! If you can’t make this event, or just want to know about other opportunities to get involved with CAA, we’ve got so many ways to connect with the community, enjoy vegan food, and make a difference. Visit our volunteer page to see all opportunities!
Join the Celebration
Don’t miss out on this incredible celebration of plant-based living. With so much to see, do, and taste, Twin Cities Veg Fest is the place to be on September 22. Learn more and plan your visit at tcvegfest.com.