A brand-new vegan festival is coming to Detroit on March 8, named V313. Headlined by Dr. Milton Rene Mills of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, this veg fest will be held at the Eastern Market Corporation and will include live music, guest speakers, plenty of shops and vegan food stalls, as well as a speed dating event. The festival, hosted by the Michigan Green Team, is being described as “Detroit’s premier celebration of vegan food and fun.”
“Vegan is such a hot trend right now, we’re excited to bring this major vegan event to the city of Detroit, whose vegan community is among the most dynamic in the country,” said John Batdorf, the event manager of the Michigan Green Team, to Detroit News. He added, “Restaurants are offering more vegan choices and even entire optional vegan menus, and people are interested in changing their diets for the better, whether it’s for health reasons or animal compassion or just living lighter on the planet.”
It’s not just the city of Detroit that is witnessing a vegan boom. Across the United States, many people are changing their spending and dietary habits to support a more compassionate lifestyle. A 2017 study reported that the number of vegans living in the U.S. had increased by a staggering six hundred percent in just three years. Another recent study from Mintel showed that over fifty percent of Americans were now looking for alternative, meat-free protein sources to replace animal products.
This is all down to accessibility, says Gina Cavato, the Lifestyles and Leisure Analyst at Mintel. “A conscious effort to eat more protein through meat alternatives is not only the result of consumers perceiving meat alternatives as healthier and more cost-efficient,” Cavato explained, “but also the sheer availability of more of these types of products.”
Events such as V313 contribute to this level of new accessibility. Attendees can purchase tickets in advance for $15, which includes a $5 concessions voucher.
Image Credit: V313
