Promoting plant-based eating, conservation and compassion for animals, Michiana VegFest 2025 will take place April 27.
The annual free vegan festival will feature chef demos, food samples, guest speakers, vendors and activities. Michiana VegFest is open to anyone interested in exploring healthy food choices and supporting regional, vegan-friendly businesses and organizations.
Attendees will have the opportunity to hear speakers discussing healthy eating, animal protection and environmental sustainability. Chefs will offer cooking demos with free samples. Vendors of foods, cosmetics, clothing and other goods produced without animal ingredients will be on hand. The festival will feature live music and an educational Kids’ Corner.
“Becoming a vegan was one of the best decisions of my life,” Michael Pound said in a press release. “VegFest allows me to spread the message to a wider audience; to help people discover the wonderful variety of plant-based food, to realize the health benefits, to avoid animal cruelty and to protect the environment.”
Featured speakers include:
- Jane Esselstyn, designer of plant-strong recipes and co-author of the New York Times Bestseller Be a Plant-Based Woman Warrior: Live Fierce, Stay Bold, Eat Delicious
- Matthew Halteman, professor and author of Compassionate Eating as Care of Creation and coeditor of Philosophy Comes to Dinner: Arguments About the Ethics of Eating
- Beth Bollenbach and Dale Welling, founders of Paws for Humanity
Featured chefs include:
- Katherine and Joshua Stanier, Feel Better Living
- Jasmine Bradley, Vegan Bites by Jas
- Chef Audy, (V)ITALE CUISINE
The festival will take place 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 27 at the Gillespie Conference and Special Event Center in South Bend.
