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 non-profit group in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Their main goal is to share information and support people who choose to be vegetarian or vegan. They hold monthly talks and a big yearly food festival in the fall.
Contents
What is the Boston Vegetarian Society?
The Boston Vegetarian Society started in 1986. At first, they held fun vegan potlucks in a church basement. More and more people joined their events over the years. In 1998, it officially became an educational non-profit organization.
The BVS helps people learn about vegetarian and vegan lifestyles. They offer information about events and other groups. They also host the yearly Boston Vegetarian Food Festival (BVFF). The BVS teaches cooking classes and spreads the word about vegetarianism. They do this through ads, outreach at fairs, and free monthly talks. Their New Year's dinner and vegan cooking classes are very popular. The BVS gives education, encouragement, and community support. They also take part in the annual Earth Day Festival at Boston University.
Boston Vegetarian Food Festival
Since 1996, the Boston Vegetarian Society has hosted the Boston Vegetarian Food Festival (BVFF). This big event happens every year in October or November.
How the Festival Started
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 and the Vegetarian Resource Group helped host it. Famous speakers like Dr. Charles R. Attwood shared their knowledge. Later that year, in October, they also had a World Vegetarian Day celebration. This outdoor event was held on the Boston Common. Many people believe this was the first modern vegetarian food festival in the United States. However, the Toronto Vegetarian Food Fair had been happening since 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. From then on, the festival has always been held around October or November.
Festival Growth and Location
Starting in 1998, the BVFF moved to the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center. This center is in the Roxbury Crossing area of Boston. Over the years, more and more people came to the festival. Because of this, it grew from one day to two days in 2009. For the 2016 festival, organizers thought between 15,000 and 20,000 people would attend!
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 uses different logos for advertising on subways, buses, and in newspapers. The team now wants to create one main logo for this popular event. The winning logos for festival merchandise have come from both college students and professional artists.
See also
- List of vegetarian festivals
- List of vegetarian organizations
- Mission Hill, Boston
- North American Vegetarian Society
