Boston Vegetarian Society facts for kids
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| Founded | 1986 |
|---|---|
| Type | Educational charity |
| Registration no. | 043082813 |
| Focus | Veganism, vegetarianism |
| Location |
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Area served
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Eastern Massachusetts |
| Services | Educational events and literature supporting vegan diets |
| Method | Popular education |
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Members
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[Figure needed] |
| Subsidiaries | None |
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Revenue
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As of September 2012[update] $52,434 |
| Endowment | As of September 2012[update] $127,324 |
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Employees
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[Figure needed] |
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Volunteers
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[Figure needed] |
| Affiliate member of North American Vegetarian Society (NAVS), Vegetarian Union of North America (VUNA), and International Vegetarian Union (IVU) | |
The Boston Vegetarian Society (BVS) is a group in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. It is a non-profit organization that teaches people about vegetarianism and veganism. The BVS holds monthly talks and a big food festival every fall.
Contents
What is the Boston Vegetarian Society?
The Boston Vegetarian Society started in 1986. At first, members met for vegan potlucks in a church basement. A potluck is a meal where everyone brings a dish to share. Over time, more and more people joined the group.
In 1998, the BVS became an official educational non-profit group in Massachusetts. This means it is a charity that focuses on teaching.
What Does BVS Do?
The BVS helps people learn about vegetarian and vegan eating. They share information about events and other groups. They also host the yearly Boston Vegetarian Food Festival.
The BVS offers cooking classes to show how to make tasty vegan meals. They also spread their message through ads on buses and trains. You can find them at fairs and festivals, too. They also hold free educational talks every month.
Their New Year's dinner and vegan cooking classes are very popular. The BVS gives people education, encouragement, and a community. They also take part in the annual Earth Day Festival at Boston University.
Boston Vegetarian Food Festival
The Boston Vegetarian Society has hosted the Boston Vegetarian Food Festival (BVFF) every year since 1996. This big event usually happens in October or November.
History of the Food Festival
The very first festival was on May 5, 1996. It took place at MIT's Howard W. Johnson Athletics Center. The MIT Vegetarian Support Group helped organize it. Famous speakers, like Dr. Charles R. Attwood, gave talks.
Later that year, in October, they also had a World Vegetarian Day party. This outdoor event was held on the Boston Common. Many people believe the BVFF was the first modern vegetarian food festival in the United States. However, the Toronto Vegetarian Food Fair in Canada started earlier, in 1985.
The second BVFF was held on October 26, 1997. It took place at Bunker Hill Community College. This event combined the indoor food festival with the World Vegetarian Day celebration. Since then, the festival has always been held around October or November.
Where is the Festival Held?
Since 1998, the BVFF has been held at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center. This center is in the Roxbury Crossing area of Boston. It is right across from Roxbury Community College.
The festival has become very popular. Because so many people attend, it grew from one day to two days in 2009. For the 2016 festival, organizers thought between 15,000 and 20,000 people would come.
Each year, almost all the speakers are new. Dr. Michael Greger is one of the few speakers who returns almost every year. He often speaks around his birthday.
The festival has used different logos for advertising over the years. These logos appear on subway ads, bus ads, and in newspapers. The organizers are now looking for one main logo for this popular event. The winning logos for festival items often come from college students or professional artists.
Images for kids
See also
- List of vegetarian and vegan festivals
- List of vegetarian and vegan organizations
- Mission Hill, Boston
- North American Vegetarian Society
