Main image courtesy of DiscovertheBurgh.
Maintaining a vegan lifestyle can be a daunting challenge for most, but with a community like Pittsburgh that offers ample community-building events for vegans, you’re sure to find support from fellow plant eaters. If you’re looking to get out into the Pittsburgh vegan community this summer, soak up the sun with friends at these food-based vegan events and festivals.
Pittsburgh Vegfest
Support small businesses and celebrate animal advocacy at this free all-day festival
Allegheny Park | PittsburghVegFest.com
This festival was founded over six years ago by two friends hoping to bring the Pittsburgh community together through amazing vegan food and education about sustainable living. By combining their love for animal advocacy and local vegan food, organizers Natalie and Leila have drawn in crowds of over 8,000 people to their festivals. The annual event, which takes place each August, is beloved for its all-day cooking and food demonstrations, live music, yoga and wellness activities, shopping, and, of course, vegan food vendors.
If you’re looking to get outside this summer and assemble with fellow vegans, this event is the place to be. Open to families and furry friends, this afternoon event is a perfect way to learn some great tips and tricks on maintaining an environmentally friendly lifestyle while also indulging in some mind blowing vegan food from small business food vendors.
Pittsburgh Vegan Meetup
With this small community of Pittsburgh Vegans, you’re sure to find the vegan event you’ve been dreaming of for the summer
Pittsburgh | Meetup-PittsburghVegans.com
Touted as a haven for vegans in Pittsburgh, this small community focuses on bringing educational events, food outings, and potlucks to the city through its ongoing event offerings to the public. With multiple events coming up in the next couple of months, the group is open to everyone through its online class and event offerings. Some of the events that are happening soon include a Virtual Vegan Pledge program, coordinated by Peace Advocacy Network, that is intended for those interested in easing into the Vegan lifestyle. This is a 30-day program that includes meetings and one-on-one conversations with long-term vegans to create an easier transition into the diet and lifestyle.
While the group’s website contains a list of all upcoming events, some of the other events for this summer include a vegan cookout and a discussion with health experts about the Covid-19 and how it intersects with veganism. For more information about these events and how you can sign up to join the group, you can check out their website.
A World of Flavors - A Plant-Centric Taste Testing Experience
Travel around the vegan cuisine world with this evening taste testing evening event
Canonsburg | HappeningNext-AWorldofFlavors.com
Dubbed as a “plant-centric taste testing experience,” this event pushes its attendees to explore vegan options from around the world. With live music and a vendor village where you can shop to support local small businesses, this event has everything you could possibly think of.
The event is even running a special promotion where if you’re one of the first 50 people to sign up for the June event, you’ll get a free taste of the “much anticipated” Gaga's Strawberry Pretzel Dessert.
Farm to Table Growing Workshop
For a lesson on organic, sustainable, and vegan living, this workshop is the way to go
Point Breeze North | EventBrite-FarmtoTable.com
If you’ve recently dove head-first into the world of veganism, this event can serve as a great guide to building a more sustainable vegan way of life. The June 10th event is the beginning of a longer series of classes that teach participants how to spot different types of edible plants, how to grow them yourself, what their nutritional profile is, and how you can incorporate those plants into your cooking with recipes demonstrated by the leaders of the classes.
The intention of the series is to provide and encourage sustainable access to healthy foods, especially for those considering or already attempting a vegan diet. The events are free to all who are interested, and each workshop ends with participants receiving plants that they can take home, care for, and incorporate into their cooking.
Bloomfield Saturday Market
Support local businesses at this outdoor market with vendors of all sorts
While not an exclusively vegan event, this farmers market that runs during the summer offers food and products from vegan vendors and places an emphasis on locally grown and produced products. Their Saturday Market runs from 9am to 1pm each Saturday between May 8th and November 20th on Liberty Avenue, and offers a variety of local vendors. From tea to hummus to on-the-go vegan meals, Bloomfield has a bit of everything for everyone.
If you’re looking to go an extra mile to support the Pittsburgh community and possibly meet some fellow vegans in the process, consider volunteering for Bloomfield Saturday Market. They’re always looking for some help with simple tasks that make a huge difference for the market, the vendors, and the vegan community at large.
Pittsburgh Vegan Expo and Festival
Join the fun at the longest-running vegan event in Pittsburgh
With food vendors, educational speakers and demonstrations, films, and entertainment for kids, this vegan festival was made for every member of the Pittsburgh community. With humble beginnings in the 90’s with small events held by groups of vegans, this festival expanded into one of the biggest annual vegan events in Pittsburgh in the past decade.
While the venue for the expo changes each year, it was recently announced through the organization’s Facebook page that the event will be held on July 24th at the Monroeville Convention Center.
Whether you’re new to the vegan lifestyle or an experienced herbivore, these events are a great way to interact with the Pittsburgh community, learn new recipes, and hear about sustainable lifestyles from diverse speakers. Any one of the events on the list are an amazing opportunity to simultaneously become immersed into both the Pittsburgh community and vegan communities in the area.
