VegFest

VegFest is truly a life changing event for those who are new to the idea of a vegan lifestyle. This past year was our biggest VegFest ever with over 6,000 people in attendance! For 2019 we are celebrating our 20th annual VegFest by doubling the hall space and bringing back some of our most popular speakers, including Alicia Silverstone and Dr. Michael Greger!
SummerFest

Our 3rd Annual Free SummerFest drew over 2,000 attendees and showcased the huge amount of vegan food options that are now available. By recently hiring a full-time event coordinator, we have big plans to improve our VegFest, SummerFest, and all of our upcoming events in 2019!
TV and Radio

VegMichigan helped spread the benefits of a plant-based diet on a number of local news programs throughout the past year. We were featured on the popular Fox 2 morning show to promote the benefits of plant-based eating in segments prior to our events with Dr. Joel Fuhrman, VegFest, and SummerFest.

TV and radio allows us to spread our message to tens of thousands of people at one time. We look forward to expanding our media presence this year by hiring a full-time Director of Marketing. Stay tuned.
EMU
College Outreach

This year, with the help of our part-time College Outreach Coordinator, VegMichigan participated in student activity fairs on the campuses of Michigan State University and Eastern Michigan University with the goal of building long-term relationships with student organizations. We also organized leafleting events at campuses around the state, directly reaching thousands of students, and hosted a free screening of the documentary,
What The Health , along with a vegan food sampling at MSU.

Look for more great initiatives geared toward college students in 2019.
Library Outreach

In 2018, VegMichigan installed month-long library displays that highlight the benefits of a vegan diet at over 20 different library branches throughout Michigan, which were viewed by tens of thousands of people.

We are excited to share that we already have additional library displays planned for this year in Lansing and in other new locations. This year we are also partnering with Dr. Kahn and Dr. Breakey to host a free presentation and vegan food tasting focused on reaching the veg-curious who view our displays and want to learn more. Six libraries have already signed up for a presentation. The food will be catered by local vegan-friendly restaurants. Thanks to your support, we can offer these programs free of charge.
Vegan Food Tastings

We have found that one of the best ways to encourage people to move toward a vegan diet is to give them an opportunity to try delicious vegan food. This is why we made it a priority to host a number of free vegan food tastings at colleges, business offices, and libraries to help introduce people to great-tasting vegan food.

Many of our events also featured a guest speaker, such as Dr. Joel Kahn and Dr. Kerrie Saunders, to share how eating a healthy and delicious plant-based diet is one of the best defenses against chronic disease. Once again, because of your support, we are able to offer these life changing programs free of charge.
Building Community

Activism and outreach is our focus at VegMichigan but it is also important that we build the vegan community. Events such as our annual Oktoberfest and Thanksliving dinner, chili cook-off, ice cream social, potlucks, and dinner clubs are focused on fun and building friendships. This year, we expanded our dinner clubs to include Saginaw, Flint, Ann Arbor, and Lansing. These events also give support to individuals who are new to vegan eating. 

We hope you'll join us at at one of our many region-specific VegMichigan Meetups in   Ann Arbor Flint Greater Lansing , and Metro Detroit .
Speakers, Activism, and More !

VegMichigan was proud to kick off this past year by partnering with PBNSG to host Dr. Joel Fuhrman as he talked about a healthy start to a New Year. The event was a huge success and that night was the beginning of a great 2018, as we continued to accomplish so much more in the following months!

In addition to everything we've already mentioned, VegMichigan also worked with the Original Cottage Inn in Ann Arbor to add an entirely vegan menu, hosted a workshop by “That Vegan Couple” aimed at improving activism , tabled at various colleges and businesses, hosted cooking classes, and much more! VegMichigan organized or took part in over 100 events in 2018 all focused on promoting the vegan message.
Our Vision for 2019

We're excited to kick-off the next chapter of VegMichigan's journey. For 2019, we are expanding our team even further and building upon the momentum from last year with two new hires in Marketing and Event Coordination to help us become an even more effective organization.

We're doubling down on our mission of spreading a healthy, compassionate, and sustainable lifestyle in Michigan by doubling the size of VegFest this April, increasing the number of presentations we host throughout the year, and expanding vegan food tastings to new locations around Michigan.

With our new hires and these additional free events, it is important to remember that even though we offer them at no cost to the public, they are often expensive to coordinate and put on. Please consider supporting VegMichigan's work by making a donation or becoming a VegMichigan member . T hank you and best wishes to you in the new year!
VegMichigan is a 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization focused on promoting the health, environmental, and ethical benefits of a vegan diet. We work to educate the public by offering a wide range of activities for learning and socializing.