Seriously, best VegFest yet. I volunteered at the welcome table at the first-ever VegFest way back when, found myself flipping tempeh bacon for sampling at the second, and years later, having volunteered, attended and exhibited, I can easily say that 2011′s event was simply the biggest & bestest yet. Way to go, Northwest Veg! Like hundreds, if not thousasands, of other vegfolk, I was sad to see a few demos suddenly cancelled, but that was out of the hands of Northwest Veg, and as anyone who plans events can tell you, whether they’re planning grand festivals or tea parties for ferrets, stuff happens! Anyhow, while the attendance was through the roof – over six thousand throughout the weekend – people weren’t just stopping by to load up on samples, they were visited with a purpose: education. The classrooms were packed! No joke, I went to a demo 35 minutes early to grab a decent seat, and it was so worth it.

I spent most of the weekend behind the Vegan Iron Chef table (so if you saw a dorky gal in a dress with two black braids, yadda, yours truly), spreading the word about our plans for round 3 in Fall 2012, potential Pacific Northwest regionals (and beyond), and begging for volunteers with my awesome cohorts, but I did make a point to free up some time for a talk, a demo and a few strolls around ye olde VegFest, or shall I say, the new and improved VegFest. Aw, yeah.

Some highlights:

• The people! I saw smiling vegans and the veg-curious every time I looked up from my biting my nails and chatting with my cohorts. I saw what seemed like every single vegan and vegetarian I knew from the state of Oregon! There were plenty of hugs, high fives & VVCers, galore.
• Meeting the sweet folks at EcoVegan.
• Even though I forgot to to pose with a mustache, yet again, it’s always fun seeing Nicole & Dan from Upton’s Naturals: the honorary Portlanders!
• The coconut creamer. There’s no turning back.
• Chicago Soy Dairy’s kick-ass prices on Teese and Dandies.  The next step to creating my dream Smores pie is merely buying a blowtorch…
• Likewise with Earthly Gourmet: Holy, Soy Curls deal!
• Taking a break from sampling and deciding on a Veggie Combo from Sengetara for lunch on Sunday. It has been far too long since I’ve visited the restaurant, and this was a spicy reminder.
• Two words: GARLIC WHIP.

Some goods:

The view from the Vegan Iron Chef table.

Behold, festin'

Behold, Flavavegan & Steffers!

Can I be Julie Hasson when I grow up?

More festin'

Samplin' the new line of Tempt ice cream bars.

Thinking about samplin' at the Supreme Master table.

Greetin' the friendly ladies at EcoVegan.

Listening to the honest and charming words of Grant Butler. Bonus points for Mama Pea's hair, right?

Bonnie, reppin' for all raw food folks in attendance, right?

Wowwin' at the Vitamix table.

Learnin' with Steffers

And watching kids inspire, on their way to the circus protest.

My monster friend and I were so damn intrigued by this gift from Steffers - this stuff is unreal! Go try it!

And finally, lunchin' on a complete meal - and purchasing the new Papa Tofu Loves Ethiopian minutes later from Kittee herself. Aw, yeah!

In conclusion, it’s been the most vegan summer ever!

Here’s a couple fairly easy sneak peaks the local bulk shoppers should recognize….

Where are these hallowed halls?

Now take a close look at this fried rice….

What local establishment makes a lemongrass flavored tofu available by the lb?

More dramatic unveiling & favorites coming Sunday night, 6:30pm at the Multnomah Friends Meeting House on SE Stark.

Also happening this weekend: Food Fight! vegan grocery is generously donating 10% of all in-store sales to Japanese Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support groups. More ways to directly donate are on the link as well.

There is no doubt that Northwest Veg’s VegFest gets better every single year.  I remember the first one I volunteered at, which I think was either the 1st or 2nd annual event, at the Friends Meeting House in 2005. The smell of fakin’ bacon filled the air, and the guests kept flowing in, way over the anticipated number of attendees, from what I was told. Last year, VegFest moved its happenings  into the much-much-larger Oregon Convention Center. I helped sell books with Isa at The Post Punk Kitchen table and didn’t get to do much wandering, but the place was positively veg-chaos with an astounding flow of attendees. Tomorrow, I’ll be tabling with friends for Vegan Iron Chef, which I’m proud to say is now its own non-profit corporation and has grand plans for the future that are underway. Now, 2010 is the first year the convention is open for 2 complete days of tabling – it’s harder to think of veg-companies that *won’t* be there vs. who will. There is so much to look forward to (in addition to seeing every single vegan and vegetarian you know, free samples, new products, and Vegan Iron Chef’s free pins and 2011 Chef Nomination box!!) – here are some official things that caught my eye:

• Chef Tal Ronnen and “Who knew Vegetarian/Vegan Cuisine could taste this good?” Saturday at 3pm and Sunday at 4:30pm. The renowned author of the conscious cook and the chef who became a household name after working with Oprah during her 21-day vegan cleanse in 2008.
• Pulin Modi’s “Snappy Comebacks to Animal Rights Questions”  Saturday at 12pm. I attended his talk with Glenn Gaetz on activism & social media a couple years ago at Let Live, and it really stuck with me.
• Hope Bohanec’s “Eco-Eating, A Cool Diet for a Hot Planet” Saturday at 3pm. Facts about the undeniably negative impact of animal agriculture.
• Sarah Taylor’s “Vegan in 30 Days“. Sunday at 12pm. VegFest always packs in a lot of veg-curious folks, and this looks like a wise place to start a new path.
• Christopher Weber, Ph.D.: “Climate Change and Food Choice“.  Sharing research we should all be aware of.
• Pete Prasarttongosoth’s “Delicious Thai Cuisine“. Sunday at 3pm. I was under the impression that Vege Thai changed management a few years ago, but according to the info, the proprietor of the short-lived but fantastic Vege Thai cart downtown is giving a cooking demo, making me extra sad I won’t be in town.

And more, and more, and more fantastic pro-veg folks from the Pacific Northwest and beyond, with something to say – including the amazing Robert Cheeke, Chef Al and Donna B, Rae Sakora, David and Wendy Gabbe, Christopher Weber, Ph.D., Dr. Milton Mills, Dr. Gordon Saxe, and exhibitors galore, vegcetera.

Not to mention culinary offerings from Vege Thai, Green Wok, Red & Black Cafe, Papa G’s, Blossoming Lotus, Porto-freaking-bella, and more.

And hey! Don’t forget your official coupon for $1 off the $5 admission.

Credit: Vegan Zombie by dennisculver on Threadless

Oh come on, you know the vegan zombie joke.  What vegan didn’t consider buying that shirt?

Here’s the theatrical trailer, by the talented Tim Kahn, for my friend and horror author, David Agranoff’s upcoming novel, “The Vegan Revolution with Zombies”.

If you have a sense of humor, find yourself searching out unique zombie showdowns, cherish the sight of fake guts (vegan-style), have any knowledge of popular veganism and the Portland vegan community, you will pee your pants when you read this book.

The trailer is just a taste…

The book, published by Eraserhead Press, is now for sale on Amazon and will be sold by David and Try Vegan PDX at VegFest next weekend. Don’t want to spend the $$? Request it at your local library!

As a Portland vegan and zombie fiction lover, I was stoked to be one of the first to read the finished draft (hence the cute blurb in the trailer!!).

Take Note:

• • VegFest: Coupon for $1 off admission
    • Stop by the shared Vegan Iron Chef and Try Vegan PDX table to hear our plans for next year~
  • Vegan Chili Potluck in Portland this Sunday!
  • Fakin’ Fest II: Attack of the Clone Boars 10/2/10

Welcome to distant future, where everyone at least looks like they intend to do the robot.

Here we have a few photos and a big, shiny slideshow documenting the third annual Try Vegan PDX Vegan Prom: The Vegan Prom of Tomorrow. This futuristic dance night naturally included a dance off, a best dressed catwalk, the crowning of Prom Royalty for 2010  and an infinite amount of glitter and glow in the dark necklaces.

Dancing into the Freaking Future.

The Awarding of Best Dressed & Crown Royalty Approaches.... Val took 2nd place in her homemade duct tape dress, The Robot Box & Future Cat were crowned King & Queen for 2010 - Best Dressed below...

Neal was awarded Best Dressed for his I-Tux, complete with functional shoes.

The Dance Off Finals. Lindsay (left) took the honors! Lady on the left took 2nd. Much robot, much awesome.

The Freaking Future.

The return of DJs Honest John and Vitamin G

Glimpse into the future…

Click to view slideshow.

big shout outs!

• the glorious return of DJs Honest John and Vitamin G
• Try Vegan PDX and all its organizers & attendees of the 3rd Annual Try Vegan Week – the biggest yet.
• always-awesome co-planner Deanna
• Michele for her now revolution- & evolution-ary decor skills
• Melissa for stealing my camera and getting all the shots I never would (followed by a slightly less mischievous Shelley)
• Portland vegans for being my favorite vegans
• Glow in the Dark necklaces, for existing

• The support of our super-great Vegan Prom Sponsors:
  • Papa G’s Vegan Deli
  • NW Veg (VegFest approaches 9/18 & 9/19 – come stop by the Vegan Iron Chef table!)
  • Hollywood Vintage
  • Mom’s Vegan Kitchen – thanks for sweet french toast mix samples!
  • Homegrown Smoker Vegan BBQ – Portland’s vegan BBQ cart!
  • The Parlour at St. John’s (have I mentioned that I adore my new tattoo from here?!? I do.)
  • Crush Bar – Thanks for hosting!

• Special thanks to Back to Eden Bakery, The Parlour and Jazzkats Coffee Bar for gift certificates. I had a lot of fun calling out the winning numbers.
• Chloe & Louvella’s for setting up couples!
• This song for being my mental soundtrack throughout the planning.
• Everything else I’m forgetting.

The 3rd Annual Try Vegan Week kicks off this Saturday with a Bike Rally starting at the Mini Mall with the Radical Cheerleaders for Animal Rights and concludes with the Vegan Prom of Tomorrow on Saturday, the 21st. Tickets are still available!

The week includes many classes, workshops, and talks: all about going vegan!

To name a few:

• Metta Yoga Workshop on 8/14, with Sherri Konin Montgomery
• Free Earthlings Screening at Clinton Street Theater on 8/15 (Note: we couldn’t get Joaquin, but I have my fingers crossed for a hipster lookalike to randomly wander in).
• Baking without Dairy and Eggs on 8/16, with the talented Chelsea of the Flavor Vegan blog
• Get Your Greens on 8/17, with Brian from Sip and Wes of Blossoming Lotus
• Taking Advantage of Vegan Portland on 8/18, with Janessa of Epicurious Vegan and myself, shocker. Also: free cookies or something similar.
• Get Active Panel on 8/19, with members of NW Veg, Radical Cheerleaders, Let Live, IDA, and Try Vegan PDX.
• Vegan Singles Happy Hour, presented by Chloe & Louvella, and Deanna’s Vegan Bar Crawl on 8/20
• Veganism Beyond Diet Panel on 8/21

Check out the full schedule here – many more events and location/time info for the above~

Vegan Prom Poster by John Vincent Lovell

Check out Try Vegan PDX for more information. Consider having a week in your area. We’re all activists, folks.

Putting a baby inside a piece of pizza may not be cruelty-free, but come next Monday, August 2nd, trivia totally is.

Are Skittles vegan? Who is the richest vegan in the world? What doesn’t belong in hummus? Which vegan cheese company had a tie to the television series Home Improvement? You know you know.

What’s Going On: A Vegan-Themed, Multi-Round Trivia Night, hosted by cookbook author Isa Chandra Moskowitz of the Post Punk Kitchen and special guest Quiz Masters.

But Why? This event is a fundraiser for THE VEGAN PROM OF TOMORROW: The Try Vegan Week’s Third Annual Vegan Prom on 8/21 at Crush Bar, and House of Dreams Cat Shelter. Music by DJ Jet Boat Adventurer.

Vegan Prom tickets will be for sale at the event ($12 in advance, includes one complimentary raffle ticket).

Eat Pizza:

Mississippi Pizza will have vegan pizza & beverages for sale, including our special vegan pizza offerings. They offer Follow Your Heart vegan cheese, and all of their sauces are vegan.

Brains:

Show off your vegan knowledge, support great causes & events, and win PRIZES! (and eat pizza).

Sign Up & Pricing:

You are encouraged, but not required, to form small teams with amusing names in advance. The price is $5 per person.

Grand Prize!!

The winning team wins a prize basket with contributions, courtesy of Herbivore Clothing, Hopworks Urban Brewery (now has daiya for their vegan pizzas, for those who swing that way), Lion’s Share Industries, Blacksheep Bakery, Mighty-O Donuts, Post Punk Kitchen, Petunia’s Pastries, Southeast Grind, Wingnut Confections, free tickets to Vegan Prom, and more.

The Vegan Prom…

is the finale celebration to Try Vegan Week, organized by Try Vegan PDX. Try Vegan PDX is a non-profit, volunteer run, vegan outreach program. It provides year long mentoring and special events.

Facebook Event for Vegan Prom

Facebook Event for Cruelty-Free Trivia – RSVP!

Image Credit: Let Live Foundation

Bonus vegan shopping opportunities, including shirts from the new Lion’s Share Industries. I picked up this one, sold by Anika, aka Veganscore, herself:

totally not me. totally some cool vegan girl on their website.

The Stumptown Vegans weren’t able to squeeze in another podcast on the subject this year, but look for one next year!

Because really, is anything better than great music, great vegans & a sweet Bye & Bye or Floor Punch on a warm day?

Update: Deanna and Chelsea smiling at the Try Vegan PDX table:

In just over a week, Portland will crown its inaugural Vegan Iron Chef!

On behalf of the organizers, can I just thank the Portland and internet vegan community and our generous sponsors and dedicated volunteers and host and Vegan Alton Brown and Judges for supporting this? A million times over! The effort has been amazing, challenging & SO worthwhile - and I’m already thinking of it as a miniature version of what’s to come next year! Real kitchens! Stadium seating!?!

The Competition was one hot ticket and quickly sold out within a couple days!! If you didn’t get a ticket, you’ll still be able to watch Portland vegan  history unfold by viewing our stream online LIVE or heading to vegetarian Backspace Cafe early to watch it on their projector.

Backspace is also the location of the FREE After-Party, featuring an anticipated set by Camping Party, the return of DJs Surival Skilz & The Jet Boat Adventurer, exciting raffles and light refreshments, including more sampling by Wayfare Foods.

See you there! Two days later, expect me to start talking about Vegan Prom, nonstop.

all artwork by Innerstate.org

Special Thanks to our Top Sponsors:

My friend Mike, of the vegan pig cake achievement and so much more, is gloriously and mischeviously trying to unite Portland vegans on Sunday, May 23rd.  If you’re in the Portland area, stop by!

Here are the details from the facebook event (hint: RSVP there for updates):

Hey Portland Vegan!

Ever wonder if there are other super cool vegans and vegan potlucks in PDX that you don’t know about? Even if you adore your current vegan friends, ever wonder if you’re missing out on The Others? Or maybe you’re crying to yourself over your BBQ Platter at B&B or wiping sadness away with orange fingers from the fake Cheetos that you got at Food Fight! since you don’t know any other PDX vegans. In any event, its time for all that to change.

Portland has so many little vegan sub-cultures (quadrant-specific vegans, PPK vegans, Meetup vegans, NW Veg’ers, suburb vegans, space patrol vegans, blogging vegans, tattoo vegans, biking vegans, foodshops/food cart vegans, straightedge vegans). Its hard to keep up, let alone branch out and meet new peeps. But that’s all over now. Like Ronald Reagan told Mikhail Gorbachev back in ‘87, its time to “tear down this wall.”

The VEGAN CONVERGENCE is upon us.

Show up, eat some food, talk to some folks. It’s simple. You might even meet your new vegan best friend! Worst case scenario, you leave with a full belly of vegan goodies. No time for drama. No time for cliques. Just bring a “Favorite” (is that the theme?) vegan dish (along with cutlery, plates, tongs etc.) and get ready for the best afternoon of your life. Like staring into the sun, this could be epic.

(Vegan-friendly friends invited, too!)

—————-

I’ll be stopping by after a project in the morning, though I don’t know how attentive I’ll be with the life-changing series finale of LOST that evening.  I foresee myself getting nervous when I’m not in line at the Bagdad by 5pm!

P.S. Who are the foodshop vegans? The ones that go to cute restaurants? I thought I had all my groups down!