List of vegetarian festivals facts for kids

A vegetarian food festival in Poznań, Poland, in 2019

Vegetarian and vegan festivals are exciting events held all over the world. They help people learn about and celebrate eating plant-based foods. These festivals often have delicious food to try. They can also feature music, fun activities, and educational talks. It's a great way to meet others who are interested in vegetarian or vegan lifestyles.

What are Vegetarian and Vegan Festivals?

These festivals are special gatherings. They promote veganism and vegetarianism. This means eating foods that come only from plants. Many events are also food festivals. You can try many different plant-based dishes. Some even have live music. They often offer "edutainment," which means learning while having fun!

Major Festivals Around the World

Vendors at a Veganmania festival in Opole, Poland, in 2016

Some vegetarian and vegan festivals are held in many countries. They happen at different times of the year. These big events include:

• Veganmania
• VeggieWorld
• Veggie Pride

Many festivals also call themselves 'VegFest'. But these are usually separate events. They do not have international connections.

Austria's Veganmania Events

In Austria, you can find Veganmania festivals in several cities:

• Graz
• Innsbruck
• Vienna (twice a year)

In 2014, the Vienna festival made the world's biggest vegan fried egg!

Canada's Toronto Vegetarian Food Fair

In Toronto, Ontario, Canada, there's a big event. The Toronto Vegetarian Food Fair has been held since 1985. It takes place at the Harbourfront. Around 2005, about 15,000 to 20,000 people visited each year.

Croatia's ZeGeVege Festival

In Croatia, Veganmania festivals are held in Zagreb. The official name is the ZeGeVege Festival. It has been held every year since 2008. The group 'Animal Friends' organizes it.

Czech Republic's Music Festivals

The Czech Republic hosts some unique festivals:

• Fluff Fest is a hardcore punk music festival. It happens every July in Rokycany. All the food there is vegan. A local animal rights group provides the catering.
• Obscene Extreme is an extreme metal music festival. Since 1999, it has offered only vegetarian and vegan food.

France's VeggieWorld Events

A live cooking show at VeggieWorld Paris in 2019

In France, VeggieWorld festivals are popular:

• Lyon held its 3rd edition in 2019.
• Paris hosted its 7th VeggieWorld in 2019. Over 8,000 people attended. This was 14% more than the year before!

Germany's Many Vegan Festivals

Germany has many vegan festivals, including Veganmania and VeggieWorld.

Veganmania in Germany

You can find Veganmania festivals in:

• Iserlohn
• Regensburg. The first festival in 2014 had over 5,000 visitors.
• Würzburg

VeggieWorld in Germany

VeggieWorld festivals are held in:

• Berlin. It started in 2015 with 55 stalls. By 2019, it had 130 stalls and 10,000 visitors.
• Düsseldorf held its 5th edition in 2019.
• Wiesbaden hosted 10 VeggieWorld events from 2011 to 2020. The last one had 13,000 visitors. The next one will be in Frankfurt.

Other German Festivals

• The Vegan Summerfest (Veganes Sommerfest) is a three-day event. It takes place in Berlin's Alexanderplatz. It's organized by groups like ProVeg International. The 2019 festival had about 100 stands.

India's Traditional Festival

• Aranmula Vallasadya is a traditional festival in India. It also features vegetarian food.

Netherlands' Vegan Events

Psy-Fi festival in Leeuwarden, Netherlands

The Netherlands has festivals focused on plant-based food and community:

• VeggieWorld in Utrecht started in 2016. It is fully vegan. The 2020 event had 9,000 visitors.
• VegFest in Utrecht began in 2014. It is also a vegan festival.

Poland's Veganmania Festivals

In Poland, the 'Open Cages' (Otwarte Klatki) group organizes Veganmania festivals. These events happen in many cities. In 2019, the Łódź edition attracted over 3,000 visitors.

Switzerland's Growing Veganmania

In Switzerland, Veganmania festivals are popular:

• Aarau. Swissveg has organized Veganmania in Switzerland since 2011. The 2016 event had 5,000 visitors. This made it the biggest vegan festival in Switzerland. It moved to Aarau because its old location in Winterthur became too small.
• Gossau, St. Gallen. The Gossau Veganmania started in 2017. It featured 60 stands.

Thailand's Nine Emperor Gods Festival

You can also learn about the Nine Emperor Gods Festival in Thailand. This festival also involves vegetarian food.

United Kingdom's VegfestUK

People at VegFest Bristol in 2012

VegfestUK is a yearly vegan food festival. It is held in different cities across the United Kingdom. It started in 2013.

Spain's VEGAN FEST CATALUNYA

• VEGAN FEST CATALUNYA is a vegan festival held in Spain.

United States' Vegetarian Food Festivals

The Boston Vegetarian Food Festival in 2014

The United States hosts several vegetarian and vegan food festivals:

• Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Vegetarian Food Festival (BVFF) happens every autumn. It is held at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center.
• Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Twin Cities VegFest takes place every September.
• Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Lancaster VegFest is held annually in June.

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