Stone & Spoon will be hosting the first ever Ypsi Vegan Fest at Riverside Arts Center on Aug. 12. The event takes place from 11-5 p.m. and showcases several vegan food trucks, vendors and makers for attendees.
There will be vendors inside and outside of the Riverside Arts Center, with a few set up in the art center parking lot.
The event does not have an admission fee. However, $2 donations are welcomed to help cover the cost of the festival.
“We had just started introducing more vegan products into Stone and Spoon for our customers,” Cody Winchester, assistant manager of Stone & Spoon, said. “Then, we had the idea, why don't we create Ypsilanti’s first vegan fest with there being so much interest?”
In addition, the festival features many non-profit organizations. Some organizations participating in the festival are Miracle Massage by Amy. There, attendees can partake in a massage of their choice. Others include Washtenaw Optimal Wellness, dedicated to the health and wellness of the Washtenaw County community, SASHA Farm, and Rebel Dogs Detroit, two organizations that rescue neglected, injured, and stray animals to find them homes.
“We have a really large vegan community in this area, in fact, half of my staff is vegan,” Jen Eastridge, owner of Stone & Spoon, said. “There's definitely a crossover between animal rights and veganism.”
Stone & Spoon is a retail shop located in Downtown Ypsilanti. It features home and garden goods that inspire living cozy and comfortably.
Eastridge is grateful for the efforts put into the festival by her team.
“I didn't have to do much recruiting because of my awesome team who had been established in the local Southeast Michigan and Detroit vegan scene,” Eastridge said. “Once they put the word out that this was happening, there were great responses to it. It's just been fantastic because a lot of people know that Ypsi is very progressive and friendly.”
Stone and Spoon recommends attendees show up to the event earlier in the day in the case of any vendors selling out. They also recommend the public take into account the road work currently going on in the city as it could lead to slower traffic.
Read more: Road work ahead: Construction projects happening around EMU in Ypsilanti | The Eastern Echo
To see the full list of vendors at Ypsi Vegan Festival, visit Stone & Spoon's official website.
