Vegan food festival returns to Atlantic City

After taking a year off due to the pandemic, the Atlantic City Vegan Food Festival returns to the ocean front July 17 & 18.

According to the Courier Post, the festival will be held at the sandlot north of the Showboat Hotel with over 100 vendors.

There will be vegan food, plant-based clothing and products for sale from chefs and businesses spanning New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and beyond.

Francesca Avitto is one of the vendors appearing at the festival and she told the Courier Post that the growth of vegan businesses is encouraging to her: “it’s just so incredible because so many of us vegan business owners, we are vegan. We do it for so many reasons: We do it for our health, of course, but it’s really for the animals, it’s for the planet. So just seeing so many more people open their eyes and see the reality about veganism and the benefits across the board, it’s amazing.”

The Vegan Food Festival will run from noon until 8 on Saturday and noon until five on Sunday. Tickets are $20 for Saturday and $15 for Sunday in advance or $25/$20 at the door.

In a press release, co-founder Marisa Sweeney said, ““New Jersey VegFest is thrilled to be back in Atlantic City in 2021. We care deeply about the health and safety of our guests and vendors, and postponing our 2020 event was the right thing to do for everyone. We’re incredibly excited to be back on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, and we can’t wait to see everyone again.”