June 21st is the first day of summer, and it’s a superstereotypical Saturday of the season in that there are just too many great things happening. Green Foods Festival, Green Spirits Festival, Cupcakefest…I need a clone!
In Harlem, the 2008 Green Foods Festival celebrates healthy eating and lifestyle with a kid-friendly community event. There will be raw food demos, yoga and other fitness demos, and vendors selling veg food. The impressive line up of speakers includes Lillian Butler, owner of Raw Soul; the legendary Queen Afua, a holistic health consultant who specializes in women’s issues; and Dr. Aris LaTham, who founded Sunfired Foods in 1979 and is considered to be the Father of Gourmet ethical raw foods cuisine in America. The festival was organized in response to a 2007 city Health Department report that showed corner stores in some Harlem neighborhoods are seven times less likely to sell green vegetables and have higher rates of obesity and diabetes than those on the Upper East Side, so local health nonprofits will be on hand along with neighboring food coops, CSA’s and local farmers to provide information and accessibility to organic produce. Check out NY1′s recent feature on the festival. (12-6pm. Marus Garvey Park, 124th & 5th Avenue, Free. Wellness Pavillion, National Black Theater, 125th & 5th Avenue, $5.)
In the East Village, Counter hosts the Green Spirits Festival, an afternoon sampling of organic and earth-friendly alcohol and tasty, booze infused snacks. Proceeds go to Solar One, NYC’s Green Energy, Arts, and Educational Center, and to The Growing Connection, a grassroots non-profit that teaches kids how to grow food sustainably. (12-4pm, $20.)
Cupcakefest rocks Rutherford, New Jersey with a day of live music, vegan giveaways, and free mini-vegan cupcakes in Lincoln Park. There will be performances by punk/hardcore band Junkpunch, pop punk band And Then There Were Machines, rock band Thing One, folk musician Brian Keith, and acoustic guitar dude Kieran Hobler. In celebration of Cupcakefest, Peta2 is giving away free stuff. Visit their blog and leave a comment with your novel idea for a cupcake flavor and you might win one dozen cupcakes from Cupcakefest sponsor Sweet Avenue Bakeshop and a copy of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. (12-5pm. Free. 176 Park Avenue. Catch 190 Bus at Port Authority Bus Terminal. Visit Hopstop.com for full directions.)
What are you doing this weekend? Keep your schedule fat by visit our New York City Events Calendar often. If you know about or are organizing a cool vegan event in the area, please shoot us a message.
1 Comment
eganvay
on #This Weekend, if you’re in the boston area, come by and visit my Vegan Solar Cooking demo
check it out:
http://www.YogaWithJohn.com/solar-cooking
It’s great activism, people love this thing.
-j