Chick'n and waffle cones, lobster mac ‘n cheese, and egg rolls on a stick are just a few of the 100+ entirely plant-based menu items you’ll find at the tenth annual Twin Cities Veg Fest. The festival will be held Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022 at Harriet Island Park in St. Paul from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This event is free to attend and the first 100 attendees get free swag bags from festival sponsors!

The festival gained international recognition this year on the travel site AFAR.com, which named Twin Cities Veg Fest one of seven worldwide festivals to attend.

To celebrate its tenth year, the Twin Cities Veg Fest is highlighting how far food innovation has come with its theme “then and now.” This year, you’ll get a glimpse of what plant-based living was like years ago and what it’s evolved into now – including the festival itself.

In addition to great eats, the Twin Cities Veg Fest offers family programming from CLIMB Theatre, music, speakers, cooking demonstrations with free samples, and a wide variety of products for sale. This year’s items include Stasher bags and bowls (reusable, leak-proof silicone bags that you can cook in) and handmade artisan soap from Cargo Bike Soap. 

Attendees of cooking demonstrations get free samples and recipes. Aubrey and Kale Walch of The Herbivorous Butcher will demonstrate a recipe from their new cookbook and Mistress Ginger will delight audiences with her vegan take on favorite dishes.

This year’s speakers include Christopher “Soul” Eubanks, who will talk about the lives of animals raised for food, as well as human diversity and inclusion in the animal advocacy movement. In addition, dietician Lauren Plunkett will discuss the evolution of research on plant-based eating and common myths.  

The festival will also announce winners of this August’s Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge, in which 29 local restaurants are competing to make the best vegan dish with diners as the judges! 

The local non-profit Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA) organizes both the chef challenge and festival. Founded in 1998, CAA envisions a world where all animals, human and non-human, can thrive. Find out more about CAA at caa.mn.

CAA hosted its first Twin Cities Veg Fest back in 2012 inside Coffman Memorial Union on the University of Minnesota campus. The event brought in 1,200 people. By 2016, the festival moved outdoors to accommodate growing crowds. And in 2019 the festival drew 10,000 people to celebrate compassion at Harriet Island Park. After a year off in 2020, the festival returned to St. Paul’s Harriet Island in 2021.

"Over half of consumers prefer to buy products that are labeled plant-based. The growth of the festival reflects the public's understanding that plant-based items taste delicious, help animals and our environment, and can improve human health. At the festival you can eat vegan egg rolls and be part of a movement making positive change!" – Laura Matanah, Executive Director of CAA, the local non-profit that presents the festival.

Twin Cities Veg Fest has grown to host more than 100 vendors and 10,000 attendees for a free, full-day festival dedicated to animals, health, and planet-friendly lifestyles. The festival strives to be a zero-waste event. 

People of all dietary backgrounds are welcome. The festival is accessible to people of varied abilities and will have disability parking available. Organizers encourage attendees to use Metro Transit, which is offering free passes available on the festival website, or to park at Union Depot where a free shuttle service will take guests to Harriet Island. Learn more at tcvegfest.com.