Charlotte VegFest 2022 is right around the corner (Saturday, September 17th) and we are getting SO excited!
Hopefully you are following along on the official Facebook and Instagram pages, but in case you missed something, here’s the news from this week. (If you missed the first installment, where I answered a lot of common questions, click here.)
VENDORS
Food Truck Slots and Hot Food Vendor Slots are SOLD OUT.
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.
Are you part of a non-profit? We still have a few slots left for non-profits. Again, go to www.charlottevegfest.com to sign up.
VIP TICKETS
We have a very few VIP tickets left. This ticket will get you into the festival an hour early (11:00 AM instead of 12:00 PM) so you can avoid some of the crowds and also score a big bag of vegan swag. You can purchase a VIP ticket for $40 on the website www.charlottevegfest.com.
Remember, the VIP ticket is an OPTION. General Admission from 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM is absolutely FREE.
VOLUNTEERS
Volunteer response has been incredible. We have a record-breaking number of volunteers! And, let me say, we appreciate you! It truly takes a village to pull something like this off and our volunteers are key to making sure everything goes smoothly the day of the festival. Volunteer Signups are now closed.
SPEAKERS
The Speaker Program is finalized and we’ve got some incredible speakers.
Keynote Speaker #1: Milton Mills, MD (12:30 PM)
Milton Mills, MD practices urgent care medicine in the Washington DC area, and has served previously as Associate Director of Preventive Medicine and as a member of the National Advisory Board, for Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).
Dr. Mills has published research journal articles dealing with racial bias in federal nutrition policy. He frequently donates his time practicing at free medical clinics, and travels widely, speaking at hospitals, churches, and community centers throughout the country. If he looks familiar to you, that’s likely because he was featured in the attention-getting documentary films What the Health and They’re Trying to Kill Us.
Keynote Speaker #2: Gene Baur (1:30 PM)
Gene Baur is the President and co-founder of the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization, Farm Sanctuary, which advocates the fair treatment of farm animals, a return to the roots of agriculture, and the end of animals’ suffering for our consumption. Since 1986 his organization has not only helped to enact groundbreaking laws and policies to help prevent sick and diseased animals from ending up on our menus but has also rescued sick, abandoned, and abused animals from farms, stockyards, and slaughterhouses across the country.
Keynote Speaker #3: John Lewis, the Badass Vegan (2:30 PM)
Ex-college basketball player and fitness expert John Lewis decided to research the contributing causes of cancer and other diseases. Animal protein emerged as the “smoking gun” in many of the most common health ailments. It became his mission to spread the word through his speaking engagements and social media – especially to underserved communities.
John teamed up with the makers of What the Health to direct the forthcoming feature-length documentary They’re Trying to Kill Us, which explores the connection between veganism, food justice, and hip-hop culture.
PANEL DISCUSSIONS
We will also have two panel discussions featuring Charlotte-area vegans!
Panel Discussion #1: Health Matters (1:15 PM)
Panel Discussion #2: Vegan Entrepreneurship: Advice & Tips (3:15 PM)
COOKING DEMOS
Chef Demo #1: Sanctuary Bistro (12:15 PM)
Chef Demo #2: Something Classic (1:00 PM)
Chef Demo #3: Chef Joya (2:15 PM)
No, I do not know what they’ll be cooking. I only know it WILL be vegan.
THE AFTERPARTY
After the party is the Afterparty….
Join us after the VegFest Food Festival for the Afterparty featuring DJ See Bird Go and Reecee Raps. Come on out and let’s show the world vegans know how to PARTY! September 17th from 7 pm – 10 pm at the Boileryard at Camp NorthEnd.
VegCharlotte 
Leave a Reply