Northsiders will leave Allegheny Commons on Aug. 1 with a hearty stomach and some knowledge about cruelty- free living as Pittsburgh’s VegFest returns for another year.
The free one day event will feature live music, a bouncy house and face paint for the kids, and vegan, cruelty- free cuisine from vendors like Brewster’s Ice Cream and Fed by Vegans, a plant-based catering business from New Jersey.
The festival is also bringing back an activity called “Walk with a Doc,”according to co-founder Leila Sleiman. Festival attendees can take a brisk 30-minute walk around the commons right before the event with licensed physician Dr. Natalie Gentile, co-founder of Direct Care Physicians of Pittsburgh.
“People can walk with physician Dr. Natalie Gentile and talk about health, wellness, fitness, or even vegan food,” Sleiman told the Chronicle. “Registration is online and recommended, but not required.”
The festival will also house a variety of animals through its vendors like Pittsburgh Squealers or Maryland’s Fish Feel. According to Sleiman, a large aspect of VegFest is not just about the food, but about animal advocacy and education. She spoke of one vendor planning to attend the event, Pittsburgh Squealers, a nonprofit dedicated to Pig Rescue.
“They [Pittsburgh Squealers] just rescued like 12 pigs out of hoarder conditions, and some of them didn’t survive,” Sleiman said. “It’s hard stuff, and VegFest provides an opportunity for these organizations that are experts in their field to have conversations with the local community about those things.”
VegFest will also feature cuisine from local “fan-favorites” like Onion Maiden. Sleiman wants VegFest to be a space that highlights local businesses, especially in a time where many are shutting down in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is the heart of VegFest, according to Sleiman, and part of the reason why she started the event 12 years ago. A Northside resident at the time, she noticed a resurgence of local cruelty-free businesses in the area, and wanted to give them their proper exposure.
“I liked the idea of bringing the surrounding community to the North Side,” Sleiman said.
VegFest brings an incredibly diverse group of people, according to Sleiman, and she hopes attendees take away some knowledge after leaving, or are inspired to contribute to local businesses in their own area, Northside or otherwise.
“It has to start with us,” Sleiman said. “We can’t make a change on a bigger scale if we don’t make a change in our local community or on our plate.”
For more information, visit pittsburghvegfest.org/
