I am PSYCHED to be part of the Charlotte VegFest team this year as Social Media Manager! It has been a very uplifting and exciting experience to work with people who are similarly passionate and enthused about animals, health, and the environment.
Hopefully, if you are living in or around Charlotte, NC, you are already following the “official” pages on Facebook (CharlotteVegfest) and Instagram (charlottevegfest).
If you are not following these official pages … what are you waiting for?
Meanwhile, here are some of the details I can share so far (in case you’ve missed some media posts). Since I am fielding Customer Service questions on the Charlotte Vegfest Facebook page, I thought I’d start with some of the things people have most frequently asked about.
Charlotte VegFest 2022 will be held Saturday, September 17 at Camp North End, 300 Camp Road, inside and outside the Ford Building. If you’re not familiar with Camp North End, check out this link about its fascinating history.
General admission (from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM) is absolutely FREE, as is parking.
We DO offer VIP admission, which gets you into the festival an hour earlier (11:00 AM) so you can visit vendors before the big crowds, stand in shorter lines for food, AND get a bag of cool vegan swag. VIP tickets are $40 and can be purchased at www.charlottevegfest.com. If you’re interested, you’ll need to act fast – we only have a few VIP tickets left!
Also, children under six are allowed early access to the Festival with a paying parent. So, if you have a child under six, you just need to purchase a VIP ticket for yourself, not your child.
Dogs have long been an integral part of VegFest, stemming from the first three years when VegFest was held outdoors. Dogs are allowed pretty much everywhere in Camp North End, as long as it’s OUTSIDE. But dogs CANNOT enter the Ford building, where a majority of the activity will be, UNLESS they are a service dog.
What is there to do OUTSIDE the building? We’ll have eight (count ’em, eight) food trucks! We will also have a Kids’ Zone with activities like face painting and art stations.
Our food truck slots are SOLD OUT as are our indoor Hot Food Vendor slots. What this means for you? More yummy vegan food in one spot than you’ve ever dared to dream of in your wildest dreams.
We still have some slots left for General Vendors. Basically, anything that’s vegan-friendly. This could also be prepackaged food that is not heated and meant to be sampled. Jewelry that’s not strung on leather cords. Clothing that’s not made from silk or wool. Vegan-friendly skin care or makeup. Know a friend with a craft, or perhaps you do a craft yourself you usually sell on Etsy? Consider signing up for a General Vendor slot at www.charlottevegfest.com.
There are a few slots still available for nonprofits. Sign up quickly at www.charlottevegfest.com.
We still need volunteers. It’s a pretty cool gig – you “work” 3.5 – 4 hours and get a FREE T-shirt and a FREE vegan meal. PLUS you get to be in the middle of all the excitement! These slots are going fast, too, however … so sign up sooner rather than later. Again, the sign up site is www.charlottevegfest.com.
Have a young teen who wants to volunteer? Teenagers 13 – 15 are welcome to volunteer, as long as they are accompanied by a volunteer parent! Sign up at www.charlottevegfest.com. Be sure you sign up separately, so we can provide you with two volunteer T-shirts and two vegan meals! And, when you check in, please let us know you are together so we can assign you the same volunteer duties, and not accidentally separate you.
Is there going to be a party afterwards? You bet your sweet patootie there is! This year’s afterparty will be 7-10pm, at the Boileryard (right outside of Ford Building, by the water tower). And YES, this party is open to the public. More details to follow.
We’ve also got some amazing sponsors, speakers, panelist discussions, and cooking demos, and we’ll be sharing the deets on the official Charlotte VegFest sites – Facebook (CharlotteVegfest) and Instagram (charlottevegfest). Again, if you aren’t already following, give us a follow so you don’t miss anything! I realize social media can be weird and it’s easy to miss posts you want to see, so I’ll occasionally be summarizing some of the most important details for you here.
Oh, and one last thing. The question I’ve been asked most by my guy friends is, “Will there be aerialists again?”
YESSS. YES THERE WILL.
(Below photos courtesy of Nick Levine Photography)
VegCharlotte 
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