Finding food outside of your normal everyday options is a significant reason to travel, and vegetarians are perhaps the most demographically inclined to organize their plans around restaurants and food stalls. However, there’s another reason to travel, and yes, it still involves food: vegan festivals. We’ve bookmarked eight of the biggest vegetarian festivals in the US, UK and Canada so you can plan your trip accordingly.
Why attend a vegetarian festival?
Vegan festivals are a great opportunity to eat lots of vegan food, sure. But they’re also an opportunity to test out new brands and restaurants, support small and emerging plant-based businesses, and connect with like-minded people. They’re ideal for new vegans, as they provide an opportunity to learn from others and sample different ingredients, but they’re also great for longtime vegans. After all, the vegan market is growing rapidly. According to some reports, the plant-based food industry could hit over $61 billion by 2028, so there are new, innovative, exciting products being launched all the time. Not sure which one to try first? Check out these eight options to figure out which festival is best for you.
Top Vegetarian Festivals
Benjamin Cuisine/Instagram
1 Vegan Exchange: happening now
The annual Vegan Street Fair in North Hollywood, CA has passed, but its sister event promises just as much epicness. Free to the public, the Vegan Exchange weekly vegan market showcases more than 100 vegan vendors from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Food options are often mixed with live music, as well as a beer garden. It’s the best of vegan LA within a city street.
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Nellie’s Veg Kitchen/Instagram
2 Vegan Street Fair New York: May 20
Vegan Street Fair used to be a Los Angeles-only event, but this year, after 9 years of operation, it’s growing. Its next stop is Bronx, New York. It’s free to enter, and attendees can expect 50+ food vendors, musical entertainment and lots of fun. If you’re not around for this event, don’t worry! Throughout the year, Vegan Street Fair will also visit Atlanta (June 17), Seattle (July 29), Oakland (August 26), Denver (September 23), Austin (October 7), Vegas (November 4) and Miami. (November 18).
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Vegandel
3 Vegandel Chicago: June 10
Vegandale is more than a vegan food festival. With DJs, art, photo ops and live music by Rick Ross, it’s an all-out party you won’t want to miss. More than 150 vendors from around the world are confirmed for Vegandale Chicago in addition to local favorites. If you can’t make it to The Windy City, Vegandel is also heading to New York (September 16), Toronto (September 23), Dallas (October 14), Los Angeles (October 28) and Miami (December 2).
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Vegfest Colorado
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VegFest Colorado: July 29 and 30
If you’ve always wanted an excuse to visit the Mile High City, now you have one. VegFest Colorado is the state’s largest vegetarian festival, and while details are still being worked out and vendors are still being added to the list, the venue is set. Tivoli Quad will host a joint vegan extravaganza at the Aurora campus. Keep your eyes on the event’s Instagram page (@vegfestcolorado) for exhibitor announcements and ticket sales.
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Bizarrely Food Festival
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Bizarrely Food Festival: September 3
Despite Berkeley, CA’s long reputation for vegan eating, its first vegan festival didn’t appear until 2021. This year, Bizarrely Food Festival is back and bigger than ever. Expect hard kombucha and seltzer tastings (for the 21-and-up crowd), live performances and free samples from select booths with more than 75 vegan-friendly vendors. Ticket sales will go towards the Horde and Flock Animal Sanctuary.
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Montreal Vegan Festival
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Montreal Vegan Festival: September 30 and October 1
It doesn’t matter if you speak English or French (or both) – veganism is a universal language. At Montreal’s Best Vegan Festival, attendees can be sure to find a surprising abundance of Quebec’s best plant-based options, and if last year’s event is anything to go by, there will also be cooking demos, lectures and workshops, and non-food exhibits. . As with all of these events, check out the organization’s Instagram for the latest updates on vendors and ticket sales.
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Vegan Sweet Tooth London
7VegFest UK: November 18 and 19
London is a growing vegan city—we’d expect nothing less than fabulous from its signature vegan festival. The two-day event is one of the UK’s biggest indoor festivals, and this year, it’s returning to November, according to VegFest UK’s Instagram. Expect to choose from hundreds of vendors among thousands of participants. Bring your own reusable containers and containers to go!
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Seed Food and Wine Festival
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Seed Food and Wine Festival: January 2024
Escape the winter weather wherever you live and head to Miami for five days of vegan eats, chef demos, live music and more. This versatile celebration of plant-based cuisine is the premiere vegan event of the season. Keep your eyes on the website for early bird rates.
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Karen Esp is a VegNews Digital writer, regular contributor to numerous other publications (eg Forks Over Knives, Eating Well, Sentient Media, o And Real easy), author of Anti-Aging Hacks, and vegan lifestyle coach and educator in Indiana.