By Jack Brittle, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

On August 16, Spencer Smith Park will host the fourth annual Burlington VegFest.

It will be the first time the festival will be held at the location, with the three previous VegFests being hosted at Burloak Waterfront Park.

Lori Croonen, one of the main organizers of VegFest, had the idea for VegFest in 2019, but the inaugural festival was delayed until 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fiona Roossien, another of the co-organizers, spoke about the significance of the festival’s new location.

“Spencer Smith Park is regarded as the prime location to have a festival,” Roossien said. “It’s downtown, right on the waterfront, there’s lots of foot traffic, and parking is very accessible. We were beyond pleasantly surprised to have our application for Spencer Smith Park granted this year. From what we understand, for an event as young as ours, this is a rare occurrence, and I put that down to just how incredibly organized and efficient Lori is.”

Roossien says that the past three festivals have drawn 5000–7000 people, but she expects that number to double due to the new location.

Admission to VegFest is free, but attendees are encouraged to make a cash donation, which will be given to the Burlington Food Bank; every contribution of $10 or more will result in an entry in a prize draw.

“We have a commitment to donate $1500 worth of vegan food to the food bank,” Roossien said. “That’s based on the donations we’re able to collect. If that number goes up and we’re able to bring more donations, then we would.”

“It’s our mission to make vegan living more accessible to all,” Roossien continued. “Just by being able to donate vegan food to the food bank, in a way, makes vegan food more accessible to more people, so that’s the idea there.”

Roossien said that every vendor at the event has been vetted by VegFest and confirmed to be 100% vegan.

The event will feature a “plethora of comfort foods,” according to Roossien, as well as more healthy options.

Besides food, vendors will also be offering personal care items, clothing, and jewelry.

“We also have a stage area where we have talks happening throughout the day,” Roossien said. “This year, we have a psychiatrist who is going to be talking about the connection between nutrition and mental health. I’m also going to be doing a talk for the first time, about a report prepared by an environmental scientist in B.C., on a large disinformation campaign run by animal agriculture to discredit plant-based benefits that are quite well established.”

Musical artist and animal-rights activist Stephanie Braganza will also be performing at the festival for the fourth straight year.

The event will also feature a bouncy castle and a dunk tank, which Roossien said may come in handy for those wanting to cool off on the hot day.

“The nice thing also about the location is they have a beach there, so for those who want to stay for the day, there’s a nice area for cooling down, relaxing, and unwinding,” Roossien said.

Various organizations dedicated to helping animals will also be present at the festival.

Roossien said that there is something for everyone to enjoy at VegFest, not just vegans.

“It’s weird that people think it’s an exclusive event,” Roossien said. “That if they’re not vegan, they shouldn’t go or that they wouldn’t find something that would interest them. I can 100% guarantee that this event is for everyone.”

“I think that people would be very surprised to discover that some of these super-tasty foods and snacks are actually vegan,” Roossien continued.

VegFest will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Spencer Smith Park on August 16.

To find out more about the festival and to reserve your free tickets, visit https://www.burlingtonvegfest.com/.