New Vegan Food Festival to Pop Up in April

Seattle is a city of foodies. From the famous Bite of Seattle (July 15-17) to the healthy vegetarian Veg Fest (April 9 and 10) to the epic four-day wine-and food-fueled Taste Washington (March 31-April 3), the culinary scene is full of energy. This spring, vegan foodies will have the chance to attend a festival dedicated entirely to plant-based living.

Kelli Bielema, owner of Shindig Events and a vegan for nine years, has joined forces with her friend MacKenzie DeVito of Ballard’s vegan tiki bar No Bones Beach Club and Whole Foods to start Veg Out Seattle, a brand-new festival for vegans happening Thursday, April 21, at Metropolist (2931 1st Avenue S) in SoDo.

“We like to think of Veg Out as just a really great food party,” Bielema says. “There will be demonstrations from chefs and proprietors at their stations and [University Book Store] will be on board [as well].” The bookstore will sell literature on the vegan lifestyle and cooking.    

According to Bielema, the event will be a “farmers market-style” party with music and rows of vendors ready to hand out bites and drinks. In addition, Bielema hopes the event will encourage collaboration between the local vendors, some of which has already started.

No Bones will partner with locally based Dry Soda Co. to whip up vegan cocktails such as the Miami Nice and City Catering will have juices and booze aplenty—at least one free drink per ticket is planned. Bielema is hopeful that City Catering can mix up one of her favorite drinks, the Salt and Pepper, made from gin, grapefruit juice, lemon, simple syrup, and angostura bitters. As for eats, expect copious vegan delights including plant-based hot dogs from Cycle Dogs and dried fruit delicacies from Simple and Crisp‘s Jane Yuan, as well as protein bars from Zing Bars. 

Best of all, ticket sales ($40 for general admission, $75 for VIP) benefit the Whole Kids Foundation, a non-profit founded by Whole Foods that seeks to improve nutrition and wellness in children and end the childhood obesity epidemic.

Seattle magazine: When/why did you become a vegan and get involved with the movement? 

Kelli Bielema: “I had read a book online about veganism that focused a lot on factory farming. I was raised in rural Illinois where animal husbandry was the norm, so I naively was unaware of how pervasive these [animal husbandry] practices are. It really upset me emotionally and physically so I just stopped eating animal products.

I’ve lapsed a few times into eating vegetarian, but I never feel better inside and out than when I am fully committed to plant-based living. I strive to be a positive advocate for vegans.”

SM: What was the inspiration or reason for Veg Out’s creation?

KB: “There just wasn’t an event that was for our kind of foodies. It’s hard to find one that isn’t promoting an entire animal carcass or [one that] isn’t completely covered in bacon.

Vegan foods have come a long way and are getting more delicious and environmentally savvy by the day. For some of us it’s about animal welfare and the environment, while some find the health benefits to be the reason behind their choice. We wanted an event that celebrated this way of living without having any preachy overtones, but [was] more about enjoying some incredibly creative and tasty food.”

SM: Wasn’t Veg Out originally funded on Kickstarter? 

KB: “Yes. It was my first campaign ever and I was a little nervous as I didn’t really have the time or funds to create a video, and we still managed to surpass our goal. The vegan community is pretty strong here in the Northwest and I’m excited to give back to them and those who are ready to check out this yummy way of life!”

SM: Why do you think the vegan community is so strong in Seattle and in the northwest as a whole?

KB: “People in these parts are very passionate about the world we live in and making it sustainable. You can’t walk around here without noticing some element of beauty or that there are an incredible amount of people with pets. It’s a great combination of people who just want to make the world better!”

SM: If successful, is this an event you’d like to become an annual thing here in Seattle?

KB: “Absolutely! We may even take it to other cities.”

If you’re interested, grab your tickets quickly. Nearly half were pre-sold during the original Kickstarter campaign.