Calendar of Events

Every stand-up comedian in the business knows you can always get an instant laugh: make a vegan the butt of your joke. Every vegan kid knows he or she is not likely to get a good meat-free and dairy-free meal in the school lunchroom and faces ridicule just for asking. All too many vegans who live in remote areas have to buy their food by mail order or travel to other towns just to eat. And ask any vegan about what he or she must go through to convey a simple food order in a non-veg restaurant. It isn’t fun.

All this even though we know meat is cruel, unhealthy, and catastrophic for the environment. And why are meat, dairy, and fish so heavily subsidized by governments around the world, particularly in the United States and Europe? None of it makes a bit of sense. Nor is it fair or right.

Enter the 6th annual NYC Veggie Pride Parade, which will take place in Greenwich Village/Union Square, on Sunday, March 24, 2013. For vegetarians, the day’s festivities are sure to give their meatless way of living a much needed boost.

Parade participants are encouraged to dress up in costumes and wear sign boards announcing their pride in their vegan lifestyle. Local restaurants, veg groups, and veg everything will be represented with banners and chants. The parade will include animal-rights activists, environmentalists, and people simply concerned with their health. But on March 24, 2013, all will come together with one voice, one expression, of veggie pride.

The procession will begin at 12 Noon, sharp, in the Old Meat Packing District (where 9th Ave. & Gansevoort St. intersect). It will culminate in a festival for all to enjoy at the north end of Union Square Park. There, revelers of all persuasions will hear well-known vegan speakers and music by vegan artists. They’ll all partake in free vegan food and explore a wide variety of exhibitor presentations. At 2 p.m., a costume contest will take place.

Throughout the day, individuals will be encouraged to speak their mind at the Soapbox Testimonial Station. Other activists will beckon passersby to receive a dollar in return for watching a pro-veg video.

Organizer Pamela Rice feels confident that this year’s parade will be the best ever. Ms. Rice said, “I’m hoping that at this event people will see vegans and vegetarians come out of the shadows, once and for all.”

Visit Veggie Pride Parade for more information about every aspect of the event.

We’re pleased to announce the return of Texas VegFest, an opportunity to celebrate all the benefits of a plant-based diet — from improving health and protecting the environment to strengthening our relationship with animals and our connection to the food grown in our community. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy a healthy and tasty diet rich in fruits and vegetables.

There will be great food, entertainment, children’s activities, vendors from our local and greater community, speakers, cooking demos, and interactive events to get you excited about the produce on your plate. We hope you’ll come away from the festival with a stronger desire to eat a healthy diet and the skills and knowledge to do just that.

The organizers behind the festival are hard at work planning and organizing to bring you the best possible event. You can help by becoming a sponsor or vendor, signing up to volunteer, or just by telling everyone you know about the festival.

Texas VegFest is an annual event promoting and celebrating plant-based diets for a healthier, more sustainable future. The event will be held in Austin, previously named eighth in a ranking of “North America’s Most Vegetarian-Friendly Cities.” The event will host a variety of different sponsors and vendors, and will include activities such as:

• Live Music & Dynamic Speakers
• Cooking Demonstrations
• Kids’ Activities
• Good Food & Cold Beer!
• Free Samples & Prizes
• Local & National Vendors

Cleveland, OH — Join Earth Day Coalition for EarthFest 2013 at this year’s new location, the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds, on Sunday, April 21 from 10am-5pm. In partnership with Mayor Frank Jackson’s Sustainable Cleveland 2019 initiative, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture and the Ohio Development Services Agency Office of Energy, this year’s EarthFest will celebrate Advanced and Renewable Energy with a new exhibit area under the Fairground’s dramatic on site wind turbine and Energy Education Center. Presented and organized by Earth Day Coalition since 1990, EarthFest is Ohio’s largest environmental education event and the longest running Earth Day celebration in the nation.

EarthFest will feature over 200 exhibits in 8 sustainability areas including: Advanced and Renewable Energy, Local & Sustainable Food, Clean Transportation (with Ride & Drive), Health & Fitness, Community Works, Family Fun, Zero Waste, and Green Home & Garden. Families will enjoy all day entertainment with eco-activities, Ohio’s first biodiesel powered amusement park rides, music on 5 stages, urban farm animals, healthy food from local food trucks, the NASA “Village,” Jungle Bob with his animal friends, Valley Exotic Petting Zoo, pony rides and much more…

There are 52 weeks in a year, why not make at least one of them meat-free?

Now in its fifth year, US VegWeek (April 22-28) is a fun way to explore a wide variety of meat-free foods and discover the many benefits of vegetarian eating — for our health, the planet, and animals. This year’s celebration, kicking off on Earth Day, will be bigger and better than ever!

Compassion Over Killing launched VegWeek in 2009 in Takoma Park, Maryland (our hometown) thanks to the inspiration of MD Senator Jamie Raskin. He was the first person to sign up for our 7-day VegPledge — a pledge he’s kept to this day — and VegWeek was officially recognized by our city through a Mayoral Proclamation.

Energized by his new vegetarian diet, which he refers to as “aligning my morals with my menu,” Sen. Raskin has since helped COK expand our VegWeek campaign into a nationwide effort encouraging people choose meat-free foods as a way to build a kinder, cleaner, and healthier world. Start today!

The NOLA Veggie Fest is the Big Easy’s signature celebration of all things veggie. Join us for a N’Awlins style weekend of fun and fabulous food, as we celebrate compassionate vegan cuisine and healthy lifestyles.

There’s so much to see and do at this fun, family friendly event! Veggie festers spend the entire day sampling products, patronizing food vendors, attending cooking demos, listening to speakers, watching informational films, hearing live music, and learning about the health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Whether you’re interested in healthy eating, sustainable living, compassion for animals or, simply enjoying excellent cuisine made with veggies, then NOLA Veggie Fest is for you! We offer something for everyone and all are welcome: vegans, vegetarians, omnivores and carnivores alike! Geaux Veg Ya’ll!

DON’T WAIT! These ticket packages are available for online purchase only! Single-day passes at the door are $10 per day with tote bags available on a first come, first served basis. Event t-shirts and other merchandise available for separate purchase.

Are you interested in trying a vegan diet with some help and support? If so, then sign up for the London Vegan Pledge.

Once you have been registered, you will be given joining instructions for two meetings at a venue in central London, one at the start of your pledge month on Sunday 12th May 2013, and one at the end of your vegan month on Sunday 9th June 2013.

This two-part “Introduction to Veganism” course includes: speakers, films, delicious vegan food, cookery demos, free recipe booklets and basic health and nutrition advice. At the first meeting you will also meet your vegan buddy who will support you during your month. All of this is completely free!

• Download flyer
• Download press release
• Register online

If you have any questions please feel free to get in touch via info@vegancampaigns.org.uk.

Details of the 2012 Vegan Pledge can be found here.

Vegan Campaigns promotes veganism, mainly in the London area. Among the activities that have already taken place are vegan food fairs, information evenings, veggie burger giveaways and street stalls. We also helped to organise the London Vegan Festival in 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011, as well as the London Vegan Pledge.

We have occasional meetings in Central London, and also have an email list to inform about events and campaigns planned. To find out more, visit the rest of the site or contact us for more details to get involved.

See. Eat. Hear. FEEL VEGAN. Two days of vegan exploration await you. Nourish your taste buds on scrumptious plant-based food from New York’s famed vegan restaurants — the best in the world!

Get inspired by world-renowned speakers, champion athletes, and top chefs. Provoke new thoughts with award-winning films and their directors. Discover the vast market of cruelty-free products and services. And much more.

The Seed invites the vegan-curious, vegan-skeptical, and vegan choir to explore what we have to offer today. You’ll gain understanding of the endless benefits of a compassionate, healthful, and earth-conscious existence of the vegan & plant-based lifestyle.

The WorldFest 2013 Earth Day Festival will be held on Sunday, May 19th, 2013, from 10:30am to 7:00pm, at the beautiful outdoor setting of Woodley Park in Lake Balboa, CA. We will welcome our attendees to a magnificent day filled with entertainment, education and enlightenment. The combination of great music, empowering speakers, environmental, humanitarian and animal welfare non-profits, kid’s activities and a delicious food court make for an earth-friendly experience that is sure to be inspiring and enjoyable for all.

Here’s What’s Happening at WorldFest this Year:
Main Stage – bigger-name bands and celebrity speakers.
Earth Lounge – singer/songwriters, jazz, rock, funk, and world music groups and poets.
EcoTent – speakers, discussions, and displays about sustainable living and current environmental issues
Healthy Hut – speakers, discussions, and displays about health including yoga, meditation & cooking demos.
Exhibitors – more than 100 companies and organizations showcasing their products or eco- and animal-friendly messages.
Kids’ World – storytelling, face painting, and children’s entertainers and other activities!
Oasis Beer and Wine Garden brought to you by the Lagunitas Brewing Company – Refresh yourself in the Oasis located near the Main Stage!
Animal Adoptions – dogs, cats, rabbits and lots of animals looking for good homes!
ATM Access — There is an ATM machine on the grounds of WorldFest.
Bring your own water bottle to WorldFest for FREE FILTERED DRINKING WATER!
Free water* at WorldFest! We are pleased to say that this year we have Lifesource Water Systemsfiltering our water for us. Please stop by the booth for more information. (*water is free if you bring your own cup or bottle. We will also be selling steel bottles and you can get a compostable cup for $1.)

- Presale tickets until May 1st
At the Festival
- General Admission- $9
- Seniors over 60 – $5
- Ride your bike to WorldFest – $5
- Take the Metro – $5
(show your pass or ticket for the day)
- Kids 12 and under – FREE
- 91406 zip code residents – FREE
(with proof of residence)

Pets are not allowed this year except for service animals.
We are so sorry to say that due to strict Health Department regulations and liability issues we are unable to accommodate your dogs (even on-leash) at the event this year. We are all animal lovers and this is really disappointing for us. If it was possible for us to have them, we would! However, you can still get your “dog-fix” and all the dog-licks you can handle by visiting the many adoptable dogs from rescue organizations that will be available at the festival. Service animals are are allowed. Please have your documentation with you if you can.

Compassion Over Killing and VegRehoboth are excited to host this all-veg celebration in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The Rehoboth Beach VegFest celebrates how easy and delicious it is to choose vegetarian foods. This FREE outdoor festival highlights the community’s diverse range of animal-friendly cuisine and the many benefits of choosing plant-based foods. Featuring speakers, cooking demonstrations, free food samples, dozens of exhibitors, and area food vendors, the Rehoboth Beach VegFest has something for everyone to enjoy.

Compassion Over Killing (COK) is a national non-profit animal protection organization based in Washington, DC with a second office in Los Angeles. Working to end animal abuse since 1995, COK relies on a variety of strategies to expose cruelty to farmed animals and promote vegetarian eating as a way to build a kinder world for all animals. Compassion Over Killing is also the proud presenter of the DC VegFest, happening on Sat., Sept. 28 in Washington, DC. Visit COK.net to learn more about campaigns to run pro-veg ads on HULU.com, persuade companies to offer more vegan options, and more.

VegRehoboth is a social and outreach organization that provides connection and resources for the Vegetarian and Vegan community in Rehoboth Beach, DE and the surrounding areas. VegRehoboth is open to all—including those just curious! We welcome vegetarians and vegans, part-time vegetarians, flexitarians, and meat-eaters who want to cut back on meat and learn about healthier new ways of eating.

VegRehoboth hosts informal get-togethers at new or favorite restaurants, veg happy hours, veg film screenings, & more. We share friendship, good conversation, and great food! Visit us at VegRehoboth.com.

Cleveland VegFest promises to be a fun, educational event for the whole family! VegFest is planned for approximately 10 AM – 8 PM.

Plant-based eating and cruelty-free living has been shown to be:
~Healthy for the human body and mind
~The optimum way to ‘go green’ for the sustainability of our Earth
~Strongly connected to social justice and the alleviation of hunger worldwide
~The one truly compassionate choice for all living beings

Featuring many top national speakers and authors in their fields on issues of health, environmental sustainability, social justice, and animal rights, the Cleveland VegFest will be an opportunity to explore how choosing a whole, plant-based, vegan meal, directly impacts conditions in each of these critical areas.

LEARN!
WHAT is vegan
WHY does vegan matter
HOW to make vegan work

Plus…
What kind of impact does a vegan lifestyle have? ~ Where is the evidence?
How do I stay healthy without meat and dairy?
Why haven’t I been told this by my doctor? ~ How much does it cost to eat vegan?
How does what I do make a difference? ~ What does vegan taste like?
…and more!

TASTE!
HOW delicious vegan food can be…
Experience the flavorful, wholesome, and indulgent flavors which encompass vegan cuisine, as presented by some of the best culinary experts in our area… Cleveland’s favorite chefs, restaurants, and confectioneries will be featuring their best-selling vegan menu items.

Plus, national vendors will be showcasing a wide range of vegan products and resources.

EXPLORE!
WHAT effects the Standard American Diet has on our bodies
WHY westerners are dying of heart disease and cancer
WHO has convinced us that we need animal products to be healthy
HOW a vegan diet can greatly improve your health and turn around disease

MEET!
Local vegan groups who provide guidance, support, and opportunities to continue learning and share experiences.

Mad City Vegan Fest is an annual celebration of veganism filled with great food, inspiring speakers, awesome raffle prizes, and a host of vegan-minded exhibitors. The event is free and open to the public.

Whether you’re a vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian, or omnivore, Vegan Fest has delicious food samples and helpful information on how you can protect animals, the environment, and your health through vegan choices.

Mad City Vegan Fest is a project of Alliance for Animals, Wisconsin’s voice for animals since 1983 (address below).

Mad City Vegan Fest
Alliance for Animals
P.O. Box 1632
Madison, WI 53701

Our Mission Statement

• To highlight the ethical, environmental, and health benefits of a lifestyle free of all animal products (vegan).
• To provide a nonjudgmental, supportive, and fully inclusive environment for vegans and for those hoping to learn more about veganism.
• To demonstrate the accessibility of veganism by showcasing vegan products and organizations with an emphasis on local resources.
• To advocate compassion as the means by which to alleviate the suffering of humans and animals alike.

The Karuna team has been very busy at work planning the first Long Island Animal Rights & VegFest. Within the event we will also be holding our second annual art show and auction. Many of you were involved in our art show and auction last year and your hard work and generosity allowed us to put together a beautiful and profoundly impactful event. We so hope you will each be involved again this year.

This year’s event is shaping up to be much larger, and will cover a very broad scope of topics, each pertaining to animal rights, veganism, compassion, loving-kindness, environmental issues and sustainability, and much more. The day will include live music performances, vegan cooking classes and demonstrations, expert guest speakers including Jenny Brown, co-founder of Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, and Jennifer Greene, organizer of Vegan Long Island Meetup. As well kids and adult yoga classes, film screenings, including Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home and The Witness, both generously donated by the organization Tribe of Heart. As well as Dr. Will Tuttle’s new film, Conscious Eating: The Power of our Food Choices. In addition to our art show and auction, which will be going on throughout the day, there will be numerous exhibitors present, all of whom are dedicated to promoting animal rescue/welfare (adoptable animals will be present), promoting environmentally friendly products that are animal-free/vegan, promoting organic/vegan foods and sustainability, and promoting a holistic lifestyle.

So, suffice to say, we are very excited. And we need your help. We need our brilliantly talented artists and musicians to donate their work and time again. And we need volunteers to help us advertise as well as work the actual event. We need your good ideas and suggestions and input. We need you to exhibit your crafts, your artwork, your organizations, your stores, your books, your music, etc., etc. We need our community to come together for the community of all animals for which we seek liberation from pain and suffering.

For those of you who are local, we would like to schedule a meeting that will take place at Huntington Yoga & Wellness Studio in Huntington Village where we will discuss all the details and delegate lots of responsibilities. For our college student friends, please let us know when you will be back in town (for your winter break) so that we can try to accommodate your schedules and have you at the meeting. For those of you out of town but who still so generously donate and contribute, please be in touch by email confirming your involvement again this year. We are asking that all artwork and raffle contributions be to us by June 1st.

For those of you who have artist friends and family members, please pass this along to them. The more contributions of art, time, and talent we receive, the more sponsorships we get, the more exhibitors present, the more we stand to contribute to the animals in need. For those of you who are involved in organizations whose missions match our own, please put them in contact with us. It is time for the compassionate and passionate voices of activists on Long Island to join together and rise up in a peaceful song for the benefit of all living beings.

Thank you all for your time, for your hard work, for your care and compassion. Thank you for seeing and treating all others as you would yourself. Thank you for your courage to speak out against the injustices far too many living beings face each day. Thank you for recognizing the urgent need to do something, and most importantly, to do it with a smile; with compassion and love for all living beings no matter what form they may take. As always, we are humbled to work amongst you.

In peace and gratitude,
The Karuna Team

Life-Changing Summer Camp for Youth Making a Difference!

YEA Camp is a unique and inspiring leadership summer camp for youth 12-17 who care about community service, activism and social justice. A week-long sleep-away program in a beautiful camp location, YEA is designed to be a fun and transformative experience that builds life-long friendships between youth with similar interests. Our program also provides a meaningful opportunity for campers to learn more about some of the issues facing our planet and to get inspired and empowered to take action on those issues.

For more information, visit our website: www.yeacamp.org

When: July & August 2013, See website for session dates
Where: OR, CA and MA
Contact: info@yeacamp.org or 503-347-0223
Watch a two minute video about our program: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJ4T15gx_UU