76 Pea Pods in the Big Parade...

On Sunday we went to a giant parade! But this was no ordinary parade. This, my veg curious friends, was none other than New York City's Veggie Pride Parade! As you might be able to guess, this parade featured no elephants or horses, no clowns, no tiny cars.

What it did have was a seven foot tall pea pod vixen, hundreds of dedicated vegetarians and vegans, and a guy on a unicycle... among other zany characters.

Sunday the 17th marked the 2nd Annual Veggie Pride Parade here in NYC - a chance for the young and old of every creed and color to hit the streets and sing the praises of the veg lifestyle. The parade started off in the West Village and wound its way over to Union Square, a place with a decades-long history as a site of subversive, radical, and otherwise dissenting and forward-thinking gatherings (Emma Goldman, anyone?).

I arrived in Union Square shortly after 12:30 pm to await the arrival of paraders and get a first glance of the tablers set up in the square. Represented were a relatively wide range of veg interest groups. The different information presented was as varied as are reasons for vegetarianism, and included angles such as religion, boycotting of factory farming, environmental concerns, cruelty to animals, and personal health. Among the groups represented were Farm Sanctuary, Vegetarian Resource Group - a group I'd not heard of previously and who had quite an impressive spread of educational materials, Mercy for Animals, and Veggie Brothers Caterers from here in the NYC area. And then there was this table - Raw Revolution - one of my favorites because they gave me awesome (free raw vegan gluten free) snacks!

The Square was fairly quiet before the parade landed, which gave us a chance to look at the various groups tabling. There was a really great range of vegetarian and vegan information available, and it was presented in many different ways. One of the most interesting displays, and definitely the most eye-catching, was this one from United Poultry Concerns. Sadly, this depiction of a battery cage is nowhere near as gruesome as the real thing - good thing for me, though, because if it was I wouldn't have been able to look at it, much less photograph it! One look at even a photo of the real thing is most definitely enough to put any sentient person off of his or her fried egg breakfast...

Yes, it was a slow affair on the Square before the parade made its entrance. But when it arrived - what a ruckus! I could barely get a snapshot in edgewise. Paraders ran the gamut, from middleaged folk in windbreakers walking their cute puppydogs, to those in elaborate costumes leading pro veg (or anti meat) chants. And of course there was room for everyone in between, many of whom carried sign posts and bearing images and slogans from simple to complex, from pleading to accusing.


















The most incendiary sign I saw was one showing images of farm animals, as kept in a CAFO, shown side-by-side with an image of a populated WWII concentration camp. While I understand that the metaphor is somewhat apt, I did not photograph it; it does not strike me as appropriate. It goes to show, however, how strongly people feel about what is happening in the food industry today - largely so that we can have chicken nuggets and hamburgers on a 99 cent menu.





















Once the parade had rolled into the Square and really filled out the joint, two main things happened. One, speakers took to the stage. Sadly the sound system was not the best and I couldn't really hear any of them. Two, the crowd got down to doing what vegetarians (probably) and vegans (definitely!) do best - eating! Various tabling groups provided pizza, sandwiches, and even cake, and all of the food to be gotten was vegan - total score! Yeah we had some pizza. Yeah it was covered in potatoes. Yeah it was freaking awesome! Vegan pizza is pretty much always a rockin' good time, and this was doubly plus so what with being surrounded by hordes of people all totally psyched about the world of veg.

I was super excited to see how many parents had brought their kids out to the event - start 'em young, raise 'em vegan! A few of them were even in costume, and all of them were totally digging on the excitement around them. Kids are so brilliant, and so observant of the world around them - how often is it that kids naturally make the association between animal foods and where they come from? They have to be forced to disassociate the two. And it's so great to see that unnatural forcing not happening! To instead see a whole group of people who want to teach their children the truth about where their food comes from! It does my heart good. All you veg mamas and daddys out there, give yourselves a pat on the back, your kids a big fat kiss, and then celebrate your beautiful veg family with a vegan bar-b-q!

All in all, despite what might have been considered sub-par weather, it was a gorgeous day for living green here in NYC. Vegetarians and vegans from all over the metro area came together to tell the city why we've got such a problem with animal consumption, what can be done about it, and why we think vegan food is so damn good anyway. Who knows, perhaps knowledge gained at the 2009 Veggie Pride Parade has already changed someone's life. Or at the very least, perhaps it has planted a seed.

Until next Monday,

hearts,
Melissa Bastian.

Post Script - Hey Vegan Etsy team! There are totally enough of us in the NYC area to get a table at this event next year. Who's in?

We ain't got no place to go... let's go to a vegetable show!

Spring has sprung! Even up here on the cold cold east coast, the trees have sprouted leaves and the radiators have taken part-time jobs as end tables until September. Flowers are bursting to life everywhere, painting my concrete town with color. I even hear similar rumors of warmth from my Canadian cronies. What does it all mean? Veg fest time!

When the plants come alive it's a wonderful time to remind the world that being vegetarian - or hey, even vegan! - is just freakin' awesome, and there are festivals and events literally all over the world to achieve just that end. The month of May is jam packed with them! If you're already vegetarian or vegan, go out, have a great time, and show support to your fellows. If you're not, go sample some great food, meet some awesome people, and see what the green life has to offer!

We've already had some great events in the Veg*n community this year, like the Seattle Veg Fest presented by Vegetarians of Washington on March 21 and 22nd - what an amazing way to bring in the spring! This is purported to be one of the biggest (if not the biggest) veg fests in the world. I would love to make it out one of these years! Hey man, there's always 2010. And after all, Seattle is the city in which I first dined at an all-vegetarian Chinese restaurant. If that isn't a life-changing experience I don't know what is.

My hometown of New Orleans will be hosting it's very first NOLA Veggie Fest on May 17th, and I couldn't be more excited! (OK, I could be more excited - only if I was able to attend.) Attractions include cooking demonstrations, guest speakers, a silent auction, a raffle (to which several of us Vegan Etsians have donated prizes), and more! It all takes place at Cafe Bamboo, the first all-vegetarian restaurant to open in the crescent city since the demise of the beloved Old Dog New Trick several years back. If you're in the Gulf South area, head on out to the NOLA Veggie Fest and tell them I say hello!

Who doesn't like a good parade? Apparently vegetarians LOVE them, and it's an international feeling. On the weekend of May 16th, you can drop into Veggie Pride parades in the UK, Italy, and right here in New York City! Let me know if you're in town; I'll give you the tipoff on where to get the best vegan soft serve. ;) I've seen pictures of this event - usually of people dressed up as pea pods or the like, grinning madly and handing out flyers. If for nothing but the spectacle, it seems worth taking a peek. And I'm betting it's worth it for way more than that - heck, you might get inspired to march along!

It makes perfect sense that the weekend of the 16th is chock full of great goings on - what better way to kick off National Vegetarian Week!? Yep, that's right, we get a whole darned week now, this year stretching from May 18th to the 24th. (I, of course, am holding out for the national holiday.) As stated by the event website, "National Vegetarian Week (NVW) is the annual awareness-raising campaign promoting inspirational vegetarian food and the benefits of a meat-free lifestyle. Celebrated by the Vegetarian Society since 1992, the Week is now an established event and everyone from small businesses to big corporations, schools, community groups and individuals are welcome to come on board and make the week a success." All I can say to that is... awesome! All you Veg*ns out there, this is the perfect week to throw your own party - and make sure the menu is spectacular!

Alright Canada, are you ready?! Thanks to Vegstock 2009, veg*ns will be rocking out the Branch Restaurant in Ottawa. Stop by from 9am to 9pm May 30th and 31st for locally sourced vegetarian food as well as live musical performances! Sounds like a laid back good time for one and all.

You Ottawans may want to split your time, though, because that last weekend in May will be a big one for you. It seems that the NCVA (National Capital Vegetarian's Association) will be holding their first annual Ottawa Veg Fest on May 31st, and you're invited to be a part of it! Looks like the admission cost of a whopping zero dollars will treat you to guest speakers and cooking demonstrations - definitely worth a visit.

And in case all that excitement in May just isn't enough for you, no worries. There are events happening to promote the wonders of vegetarian and vegan lifestyles throughout the summer and fall as well!

Start the summer right at the Richmond Vegetarian Festival on June 20th. OK, fine, so the solstice isn't until the 21st, but close enough. Richmond VA is, of course, home of the uber-dedicated group Vegan Action, and so it comes as no surprise that they are one of the main sponsors of the fest. It is plain that this event has got moxy - I gotta say, any festival whose flyer sports a Carmen Miranda cow with a vegetables-with-faces hat TOTALLY has my vote. Vote for what? Uh... veg fest with most awesomest poster? Yeah, that's probably the one. Dude, look at the mushroom! I am dying of amazingness.

These darn college kids think they're so smart... and they are! So pop on over to Johnstown, PA campus of the University of Pittsburgh from July 8th to 12th for the Vegetarian Summerfest! It's actually the annual conference of the North American Vegetarian Society, the 35th annual if you can believe it, so you'll be hanging out with the bigwigs. This one is kind of a big deal, so you'll have to register, and it'll cost you. But depending on your career goals, it might be a really great opportunity for you, so go check out that website!

On July 18th, the Main Animal Coalition will be hosting its 5th annual Vegetarian and Vegan Food Festival. And those aren't my italics in there - those are original, don't ask me why. I'm just glad they slipped both V words into their pretty poster. This event, among other offerings, boasts three vegetarian food workshops. They're also young and hip (younger and hipper than me, for sure): they've got a facebook page.

Ready for some international travel? Good, because I'm guessing you don't live in Brazil, which is the setting for the 12th annual International Vegan Festival from July 22nd to the 25th. No middleground here - it's vegan all the way, and these people mean business. Check out this intro paragraph from the website: "The world longs for peace, respect and dignity. The Environment is being mercilessly destroyed and gives back its answer. Natural resources are being exhausted by the unsustainable exploitation imposed by a wasteful mode of life. We lose species diversity without even knowing it. Diseases, obesity, suffering and hunger abound." Intense, no? Intense, yes! Sometimes an extreme situation demands an extreme reaction - and I think our friends in Brazil are ready to offer it up. If you make it there (or if you're from there!) please tell us all about it!

For the weekend of August 8th and 9th, head just west of Chicago to Naperville, IL to hang out at Veggie Fest 2009, hosted at the Science of Spiratuality Meditation Center. I have a hunch that this bunch may be veg for ethical reasons. Check it out - you might learn something! They sure are ready to teach, with health education booths, guest speakers, and more. But don't forget to have fun too - try some tasty tidbits at the food demos, and enjoy the music! And feel free to bring along the kids so that they can get their faces painted, make some crafts, and teach you a thing or two about getting the most out of a festival.

The 13th Annual Charlottesville Vegetarian Festival will be happening the weekend of Saturday, September 26th in Lee Park - rain or shine! This event is hosted by Voices for Animals and includes an adoption fair to find homes for dogs and cats - didn't you just say you'd love to adopt a dog? Or three? And a cat? Or seven?

I sure hope Brazil didn't tire you out too much, because you're going to Thailand. Specifically, you gotta get to the Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2009, happening October 18th to 26th. I can almost guarantee that you'll have a religious experience; as the Tourism Authority of Thailand website states, "The Thai-Chinese in Phuket have long passed on the vegetarian festival to purify mind and soul by refraining from meat consumption and meditating." So there ya go. Get yer cleansing and meditation on, and come out the other end knowing how great body and mind feel without animals in your diet!

If you've ever been to Boston and, while there, paid attention to their graveyards, you'll know what I'm saying when I say that I've always thought it would be totally awesome to be there for Halloween. So how psyched am I that their 14th annual Vegetarian Food Festival is happening on October 31st and November 1st? I may try to make it back up to bean town for this one - double score for sure! Spend the day perusing 100 exhibitors, spend the night spooking myself out with all that American History, and wrap it all up stuffing my face with vegan slices at T.J. Scallywaggle's... oh, yeah. Sounds like a good weekend to me.

So there you have it, more excitement about the veg*n life than you can shake a stick at. But you can try! So get out there and get shakin'! You should be busy for most of the year. Just don't forget to tell us all about it.

Hearts,
Melissa Bastian.

Post Script: Know of any more awesome vegetarian events? Let the world know!! Drop them into the comments here, or send me an email at bastian613@gmail.com and I'll be happy to post about them.

A Little Vegan Humor :)