This weekend had the opportunity to swing by the VegFest in Phoenixville, PA, which is a street fest celebrating local vegan cooking cooking, brands, and other animal and environmental activist organizations. It was a great thing to see the vegan community so alive, and it was even better to see how long the lines were at each food station. I didn’t get any food but did pick up some pins and met people promoting some forward ideas. One brand in particular, Supernatural Foods/Ghost Vegan, was promoting a delicious coconut jerky and merchandise. The jerky was excellent and its smoky and peppery flavor notes hit all the right places. Some other vendors that were there that caught my attention were:
- Seashepherd – http://www.seashepherd.org/ – a marine wildlife conservation organization
- Indraloka Animal Sanctuary – http://www.indraloka.org/ – A farm animal sanctuary located in Mehoopany, PA. They offer tours, etc.
- Pig Placement Network – http://www.pigplacementnetwork.org/ – An adoption service for pigs. They brought a pig, Pee-Wee. He loved to be pet and did a neat little trick.
- Veganni Philadelphia – https://www.veggani.com/ – They sold beautiful vegan handbags.
- Compassion – http://www.compassionco.com/ – A vegan apparel company
As mentioned, there were also plenty of food vendors. The lines were way too long for each, so I can’t really comment on them. But if the lines are any indication of what was happening on the plate, I’m sure they were awesome. For a full list of vendors, click here.
Here is a picture of Pee-Wee doing a trick
Why I was There
I was there for Green Party activities, primarily promoting Jules Mermelstein for Superior Court for PA. I met up with a few other folks from the Delaware County Green Party, and the chair of the Chester County Green Party. Together we canvassed and promoted the Jules, and a Green that is running for mayor of Phoenixville, PA, Nate Craig. The folks I spoke to were very receptive and excited that a we could have a Green judge elected in PA.
And on Sunday, there was a food vest in Media, PA–no real vegan options except the Indian restaurant, Shere Punjab, and they only had one dish for vegan consumption. In comparison, the VegFest was extremely vibrant with a great crowd, whereas the food fest in Media was just kind of just slow-moving and there. Simply put–vegans just have better and healthier parties. Something like this has to be done in Media.