UPDATE: Sept. 22 -- Watch the NBC4 Going Green news story highlighting the best of the 2009 DC VegFest!

Click here for a the full photo-filled recap!

Sept. 12, 2009: The cool, breezy day coupled with excitement in the air set the stage for the more 2,500 visitors to the DC VegFest to  meet, listen to and talk with over 60 non-profit organizations, commercial vendors, food exhibitors and dynamic speakers.

The DC VegFest was a huge success thanks to everyone who supported it by coming out, tabling for their favorite cause, and volunteering to help set-up, break-down and everything in between. It couldn’t have happened without you! 

To see more pictures and share your own, please visit our photo album. 

 

                                                  

  We're thrilled to share this exciting letter from the Mayor plus recent media coverage of the DC VegFest:

 

 

 

 

 

Or maybe you want to show off to everyone that you were at DC VegFest 2009. Or perhaps you're worried that there will be too many amazing things to carry them all in your hands?

Well, now you can attend the DC VegFest and take it--and everything you get while there--home with you: The first 400 people who come to the DC VegFest Info booth will get a free 2009 DC VegFest bag filled with goodies from Lara Bar, Pirate's Booty, Follow Your Heart, Vega, and so much more!

Be sure to get there on time. The bags are being given away on a first come, first serve basis. But have no fear...if you miss out on the free bag, we'll have some extras on hand to sell for a mere $2 (vegan goodies included)!  Limited quantities available.

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you to everyone who came out to the Vegan Drinks fundraiser last night! We had a great time and raffled off some amazing prizes.

DC VegFest is in just two weeks and we're happy to announce we've added a cooking deomnstration to our schedule! Mimi Clark, also known as "Veggie Gourmet," will be showing us how to make easy and delicious animal-friendly cuisine.

Local to DC, several of Mimi's dessert creations appear at the local, vegan restaurant, Vegetable Garden. Mimi Clark has been teaching vegan cooking classes for 19 years. Please visit her website to learn more about her classes.

 

 

 

Looking to connect with other like-minded animal advocates while enjoying delicious vegan food and drinks? COK and DC Vegan have teamed up to host DC Vegan Drinks, a monthly social event.

This month’s event is a fundraiser for DC VegFest! It will be held at Bread & Brew, where not only are they donating a portion of the night’s proceeds to the VegFest but are also extending their happy hour until 9 p.m.!

Be sure to check out the great vegan food, drinks, and raffle! We'd love to see you there!

 

WHERE: Bread & Brew at 1247 20th St., N.W., D.C.

METRO: Dupont Circle Metro station on the red line

WHEN: Thursday, August 27 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

 

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We are, too! That’s why we’ve just updated our site to feature so many ways you can help spread the word!

You can:

•    Print out and hang up DC VegFest posters in your neighborhood or at area libraries/stores  

•  Add a DC VegFest banner to your website

  •  Create a “Save the Date” tag for your email signature: “Mark your calendar! The DC VegFest, a FREE outdoor festival, is on Sept. 12 at GWU.” 

•   Request free DC VegFest postcards from us to hand out at work, school, etc.

•   Tell your favorite veg company or store that you’d love to see them at the festival (but hurry there are only two weeks left to sign up!)

 

Thank you for helping make DC VegFest a success!

What’s a VegFest without food? Be sure to bring your appetite to the DC VegFest so you can try all of the delicious sweet and savory animal-friendly options available all day long!  From the best mix of vegan baked goods and home cooking created by Sticky Fingers Bakery to the fine Indian vegetarian cuisine of Nirvana, there’s something for everyone! Be sure to also catch our special cooking demonstrations, featuring Tracye McQuirter, a D.C.-based public health nutritionist and a special surprise celebrity chef!

If you’re a food vendor and you haven’t signed up to show off your delicious veg food, what are you waiting for? Remember, sponsorship deadlines are August 1st and exhibitor deadlines are August 15th. Hurry—register today!

Thank you! We’ve been inundated with such incredibly positive feedback about this event that wanted to take a moment to express our gratitude for all your support! We also wanted to highlight our most recent Sponsor to sign on: United Poultry Concerns.   

 

If you haven’t yet signed up, we want YOU to be a part of the DC VegFest! We’ll be showcasing the best of everything veg in and around the nation’s capital—it’s the perfect opportunity for your non-profit or business to reach out to a like-minded audience. Check out the details to become a sponsor or exhibitor today!   

 

DEADLINES FOR APPLICATIONS: Please note that all Sponsorship Applications are due on August 1, 2009 and Exhibitor Applications are due August 15, 2009 —so hurry! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at info@dcvegfest.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

From Veg News

Maryland State Senator tells VN about his life-changing pledge to go veg. On a cold December afternoon in 2008, Maryland State Senator Jamie Raskin lay down for a nap. Raskin was plucked from his slumber by a call from a reporter who asked: “What can everyone in our community do to be green in 2009?” The senator didn’t think twice before saying, “Everyone should go vegetarian for one week.” Though still a meat-eater at the time, Raskin had considered the potential benefits of adopting a veg diet, but lacked a starting point for changing his habits. Thanks to Takoma Park’s first-ever Try Veg Week—organized by Compassion Over Killing—Raskin got the needed push, and from April 24th through the 30th, Senator Raskin and Takoma Park City Council pledged to go veg. Now, months later, he’s sticking with a meat-free diet, obsessed with Whole Foods’ vegan General Tso’s chicken, and focusing on the environment.

 

Read the full interview here

 

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We're happy to announce that Senator Jamie Raskin has signed on to speak at the DC VegFest!

Jamie Raskin is a Democratic State Senator in Maryland representing Silver Spring and Takoma Park. In January 2009,  Senator Raskin--a self-described "lifelong carnivore"--suggested that everyone try to be vegetarian for one week to promote the rescue of the Chesapeake Bay and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Compassion Over Killing took the idea to  the Takoma Park Council and Mayor, which proclaimed an official "Vegetarian Week" April 24-30, 2009. To the cheers of a crowd of 75 supportive constituents, Raskin gave up meat that week and has stayed vegetarian ever since.

 Read more about Senator Raskin and our other speakers.