USPS Publication Number 16300
T h i s C om mu n it y Ne w s p a p e r i s a p u bl i c a t ion of E s c a m b i a-S a nt a Ro s a B a r A s s o c i a t ion
Se r v i ng t he Fi r st Jud icia l Ci rcu it Section A, Page 1
Vol. 22, No. 12
V isit T he S ummation W eekly O nline : SummationWeekly.com
March 23, 2022
1 Section, 12 Pages
K ALE Y E AH ! VEGFEST RETURNS TO PENSACOL A BE ACH by Nicole Willis
W
hether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or just open to trying new foods, Pensacola VegFest is the place for you! Pensacola VegFest is an annual celebration of compassionate living featuring unique plant-based foods, eco-friendly vendors, vegan artisans and family activities. Bring your appetite, an open mind and your family and friends to this day of cruelty-free fun!
The 4th annual Pensacola VegFest will take place Saturday, April 9 from 11 am to 6 pm. For the past two years, VegFest has been hosted at the Community Maritime Park. This year, the festival has been moved to a new location due to the park being under construction as a result of damages suffered from Hurricane Sally. The 2022 VegFest will now be hosted at the Casino Beach Gulfside Pavilion on Pensacola Beach. “We are extremely excited to be hosting Pensacola VegFest on the beach this year. It is a dream location, and we know our guests will enjoy a festival on the beach as much as we do,” Pensacola VegFest President, Whitney Hancock said. Tickets for the event are $5 each, and free on-site parking will be available at the new location on the day of the event.
Pensacola VegFest hosts a wide variety of food vendors for attendees to choose from. The event features a variety of foods and vendors that represent many different cultures— traditional American food, Indian, Brazilian and even Ethiopian. If you want to take something home, there will be plenty of packaged goods available as well. Whether you want healthy food or junk food, desserts or a burger, Pensacola VegFest has a little something for everyone. “We are striving to bring more plant-based options to the Gulf Coast while also normalizing veganism, educating the curious, and of course, cruelty-free eating,” Hancock said. VegFest also features a variety of non-food related vendors selling handmade jewelry, art, clothing, pottery, plants, soaps, candles and more. Several animal sanctuaries and nonprofit organi-
zations will also be on-site val, attendees will have promoting their services the opportunity to stop and volunteer opportu- by the welcome booth to nities. In total, VegFest grab some educational organizers are expecting flyers, coupons and free anywhere from 25 to 40 food samples. Raffle tickvendors to participate in ets will be on sale for $2 this year’s event. each for a chance to win With a wide variety of gift baskets filled with activities available at the vendor products, vegan event, attendees are sure foods, clothing, jewelry, to find something fun to gift cards, coupons, festiparticipate in! Through- val merchandise and more. out the festival, there will All raffles prizes will be also be live music, cook- distributed to the lucky ing demonstrations, face winners at the event. painting, food samples Pensacola VegFest was and various types of yoga. established in 2018 out of There will be a special a desire to grow the vegan children’s area with fun community in Pensacola. activities for the kiddos “Veganism and vegan such as face painting and interests have been growcoloring tables. ing rapidly and many are Upon entering the festi- curious. However, some have no idea where to start. We wanted to encapsulate into a festival a place and a way to meet all of those needs,” Hancock said. Through the years, Vegfest has seen more than 10,000 guests and more than 80 different vendors. VegFest organizers are still accepting applications for both
We are extremely excited to be hosting Pensacola VegFest on the beach this year. It is a dream location, and we know our guests will enjoy a festival on the beach as much as we do.” volunteers and vendors for those looking to get involved. For more information, visit pensacolavegfest.com. Pensacola VegFest is dedicated to hosting an eco-friendly and an ecoconscious event with zero-waste. To accomplish this, VegFest organizers have partnered with Keep Pensacola Beautiful and East Hill Gardens to provide waste and compost management at the event. Learn more about P e n s a c o l a Ve g Fe s t a t p e n s a c o l aveg f e s t . com. For event details and updates, follow @PensacolaVegFest on Facebook and Instagram. •
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