Seeking eats outside your typical day-to-day options is a significant reason to travel, and vegans are perhaps the most likely demographic to arrange 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 some of the biggest vegan festivals in the US, UK, and Canada so you can arrange your travels accordingly.
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Why attend a vegan festival?
Vegan festivals are a great opportunity to eat lots of vegan food, sure. But they’re also a chance to check 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 offer a chance to learn from others and sample different ingredients, but they’re also great for longtime vegans, too. After all, the vegan market is growing rapidly. According to some reports, the plant-based food industry could hit more than $61 billion by 2028, so there are new, innovative, exciting products launching all the time, and vegan festivals offer an opportunity to sample the latest and greatest.
The top vegan festivals
Not sure which vegan festival to attend first? Check out these options to figure out which festivals suits you best.
Benjamin Cuisine/Instagram
1 Vegan Exchange: Happening now
Free to the public, the Vegan Exchange Weekly Vegan Market showcases over 100 vegan vendors from 11 am until 5 pm. The food options are often intermixed with live music, as well as a beer garden. It’s the best of vegan LA all contained within a city street. After its years-long tenure in North Hollywood, Vegan Exchange will hold its final event May 5, so be sure to check it out before then.
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Nelia’s Veg Kitchen/Instagram
2 Vegan Street Fair: Multiple dates
Vegan Street Fair used to be a Los Angeles-only event, but it’s growing. It’s free to enter, and attendees can expect 50+ food vendors, musical entertainment, and a whole lot of fun. Throughout the year, Vegan Street Fair will be heading to The Bronx, NY; Pittsburgh, PA; Atlanta, GA; Indianapolis, IN; Chicago, IL; Minneapolis, MN; Seattle, WA; Bay Area, CA; Salt Lake City, UT; and Austin, TX.
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Vegandale
3 Vegandale: Multiple dates
Vegandale is more than a vegan food festival. With DJs, art, photo ops, and live music, it’s an all-out party you won’t want to miss. More than 100 global brands are confirmed for Vegandale alongside local favorites. This year, Vegandale is heading to Chicago, IL in June; Philadelphia, PA and New York, NY in August; Dallas, TX in September; Los Angeles, CA in October, and Miami, FL (an exact date is yet to be announced). Outside of the US, the festival is also headed for Toronto, Canada, and Manchester and London in the UK.
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International Vegan Food Festival
4 International Vegan Food Festival: April 27
This spring, Floridians can sample vegan delights at the International Vegan Food Festival, which is set to take place in Orlando’s Wall Street Plaza on April 27. Hosted by the Orlando Bearded Vegan, the (free!) event promises to be a “delicious and educational experience,” where attendees can try new foods and connect with like-minded people.
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Vegan Camp Out
5 Vegan Camp Out: July 26 & 29
Earthling Ed, Chris Packham, Gaz Oakley, Simon Amstel, Genesis Butler, and Michael Greger, MD are among the speakers at this year’s Vegan Camp Out festival, which will take place in the UK’s Oxfordshire countryside. The event, which is the biggest vegan camping festival in the world, will also host plenty of vegan food, live music, yoga classes, workshops, and so much more.
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Black VegFest
6 Black VegFest: August 17
Brooklyn, NY’s Black VegFest is back, and this year, it’s set to celebrate the 137th birthday of the Jamaican activist Marcus Mosiah Garvey. With food, performances, and educational classes, the event will celebrate “Garvey’s teachings of self-determination, cultural pride, and his emphasis on the African Diaspora.” Entry is free, and the event will take place in Lincoln Terrace Park.
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Bizerkley Food Festival
7
Bizerkeley Food Festival: September 1
Despite Berkeley, CA’s long reputation for vegan eats, its first vegan festival didn’t emerge until 2021. Hosted by Erika Jordan, aka Instagram favorite @bizerkeleyvegan, the aptly named Bizerkeley Food Festival is back again. Expect over 70 vegan-friendly vendors, games, live music, and even a vegan fashion show. Plus, there will also be a silent auction in aid of the Herd & Flock Animal Sanctuary.
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Brisbane Vegan Expo
8 Brisbane Vegan Expo: September 14 & 15
In September, Australians can find vegan food, cruelty-free shopping, interesting guest speaker talks, and fun cooking demonstrations at the Brisbane Vegan Expo. This year, Masterchef Australia alumni Simon Toohey, who is passionate about transforming the food system, is also set to make an appearance.
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Vegan Fest
9 Vegan Fest 2024: September 14 & 15
Thousands of miles away from Australia, in Catalonia, Spain, Vegan Fest 2024 is set to take place over the same September weekend as the Brisbane Vegan Expo. The largest outdoor vegan festival in Europe is currently working on its exciting lineup, so make sure to keep an eye on its socials for all the updates!
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VegTo Fest
10 VegTo Fest: September 21 & 22
For the 39th year, VegTo Fest will be taking place in Toronto, Canada this September. More than 200 vendors are set to attend the event, where they will be serving plenty of delicious food and other plant-based products. Plus, there will be an “eclectic roster” of ideators and innovators to hear from during the event. The best part? Entry is totally free.
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VegFest UK
11 VegFest UK Vegan Fayre: Multiple dates
This year, VegFestUK is hosting multiple events across the UK, all of which are a celebration of the country’s thriving vegan scene. At the end of March, Bristol Vegan Fayre will host live music, stand-up comedy, street food caterers, workshops, and so much more, and then the same event is set to return to the southwest city in August. Just in time for Christmas, a festive version of the Vegan Fayre will also take place in London. VegFest is also hosting a new conference event in London in September—this event is less of a festival, but will instead focus on activism, campaigning, and developing new skills.
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VegFest Pilipinas
12 VegFest Pilipinas: November 16 & 17
Organized by Vegans of Manila, VegFest Pilipinas is the first vegan festival in the Philippines. Last year, the event featured live music, plenty of delicious food (of course), and special appearances from influential content creators like recipe developer RG Enriquez-Diez (the founder of Astig Vegan), DJ Papa Jackson, and actress Elle Velasco. To find out what treats are in store this year, keep on eye on the festival’s Instagram account.
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Montreal Vegan Festival
13
Montreal Vegan Festival: TBC
It doesn’t matter whether you speak English or French (or neither)—veganism is a universal language. At Montreal’s best vegan festival, attendees can be sure to find a dizzying abundance of Quebec’s best plant-based options, and if its previous events are anything to go by, there will also be cooking demos, lectures and workshops, and non-food exhibitors. The festival hasn’t yet announced dates for 2024, but in February, it announced it was recruiting volunteers, so there could be more information coming soon. As with all of these events, look to the organization’s Instagram for the latest updates.
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For more vegan events and tips, read:
Karen Asp is a VegNews digital writer, regular contributor to numerous other publications (like Forks Over Knives, Eating Well, Sentient Media, O and Real Simple), author of Anti-Aging Hacks, and a vegan lifestyle coach and educator in Indiana.
