Vegandale hosted their annual festival this past weekend in Chicago, bringing good energy, good music and good food! The vegan based festival is not only an entertainment experience but an educational one as well. Giving those in attendance the opportunity to learn about the vegan experience while also offering tasty vegan options by different food vendors from across the country.
The festival which began in 2015, has reached six major cities and continued its success with over 150 vendors and 22,000 people in attendance for this year’s Chicago stop. The vendors provided a wide range of different vegan options, from soul food to Indian, Mexican and Puerto Rican. The variety of food options is a great way to help a non-vegan get over their skepticism of vegan food. Prior to Vegandale, I wasn’t exactly sold that vegan options could serve as an alternative to meat. How can a mushroom taste like chicken? After trying a few different vendors, I was made into a believer. My favorite was Brooklyn based “Maati Made It”, Maati’s vegan Soulfood proves you do not have to lose the flavor of your favorite dish to be healthy and vegan.
The entertainment portion of this year’s festival was top tier. From the art to the photo-op areas and music, it was enough to keep fans entertained throughout the day. New York based Dj Lohrasp Kansara provided energy and great music for over 5 hours non-stop. Pairing with host and Bronx native Scott Burnhard, the two brought a little bit of NYC flavor to the stage. Burnhard engaged with the crowd, danced and even gave away cash prizes to a few lucky fans.
The festivals biggest moment was the performances of Rick Ross and legendary rappers Jadakiss and Styles P. The crowd went wild when Jadakiss and Styles P popped up for a mini- performance. The two entertained the crown with songs like “Good times (I get high)” and “We gonna make it.” Rick Ross took the stage with energy like no other. Performing fan favorites like, “Hustlin”, “Aston Martin Music” “Diced Pineapples” and “BMF”, the crowd reciprocated his energy as they sang each song word for word.
Overall Vegandale Festival was a great way to kick off “Summertime Chi”. For information on Vegandale’s next stop, log onto vegandalefest.com
