There has never been a better time to be vegetarian or vegan (or simply to be dabbling in a plant-based lifestyle) in Pennsylvania! There are so many companies making tasty vegan products, bars and restaurants offering ample meat-free menu options and just an overall growing awareness of how exciting, sustainable and satisfying this growing wellness trend can be.
The Harrisburg VeggieFest, coming up on Saturday, August 17, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Strawberry Square in downtown Harrisburg, is a place where you can see Central PA’s vegan community in action: restaurants, craft breweries, and vendors will come together to celebrate locally focused, healthy-living lifestyles.
This lively, popular event, now in its third year, is presented by UPMC Pinnacle Health, produced in partnership with Sara Bozich (the ‘Burg’s “unofficial ambassador”), and will benefit the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank.
There are so many reasons why you should buy a ticket (just $20!) to Harrisburg VeggieFest now. But here are our top four things to get psyched about that will be featured at this awesome annual event:
1. Food & Sips Galore
Superfood Grain Bowl from The Vegetable Hunter
What’s a food festival without tons of delicious food and drinks? As always, Harrisburg VeggieFest has an amazing list of vendors lined up, with all kinds of snacks, sweets and sips to explore. Local spots The Vegetable Hunter (home of one of our all-time favorite grain bowls), Harvest Seasonal Grill and Wine Bar, Aroogas Sports Bar and Grill House, Iron Hill Brewery Hershey and more will be dishing up samples from their food menus, included in the ticket, as well as items for purchase. Artisans and makers like Boom! Crafted Pickles, Cocoa Creek Chocolates, Provisions and Sarah’s Sweet and Savory Snacks will have lots of nibbles, too! On the drinks side of things, Tröegs Independent Brewing, Ploughman Cider, Holla Spirits and a number of others will be slinging pours and mini cocktails to guests 21+. All of the food and drinks will be either vegetarian or vegan, and each item will be clearly labeled.
If you’re a local bar, restaurant, brewer, distillery or cider maker in the region, and you want to get in on the action, Harrisburg VeggieFest is still looking to add a few great vendors! For a very modest application fee, you’ll get a vending space, listing on HVF’s website, great social media exposure, and access to sell items to the hundreds of festival attendees! If you’d only like to sample (not sell), the application fee is waived. Find the vendor application here.
2. The Faux Burger Showdown
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Everyone’s got an opinion on who makes the best veggie burger and how it should be done: Do you prefer a homemade patty or store-bought? Are you excited about the new wave of realistic mock meat, like Impossible and Beyond Burgers, or does the texture skeeve you out, and you’d prefer an old-school black bean burger? For toppings, is it classic lettuce and tomato? Or do you like to see more creative concoctions? At this year’s Harrisburg VeggieFest, restaurants will throw down their best efforts in the Faux Burger Showdown! This friendly competition is presented by The Hilton Harrisburg. Three local judges, including PA Eats’ own Mary Bigham, will try all of the veggie burger submissions and award the winner the “Best Local Faux Burger”!
3. Total Inclusivity
This event is not just for vegans — the whole community is welcome to come check it out! Whether you’ve eschewed meat for years, or you participate in Meatless Monday from time to time, or you simply love great local food and beer, Harrisburg VeggieFest is for you. The organizers are working hard to cultivate a judgement-free space where all are welcome: vegetarian, vegan, veg-curious, omnivores, craft beer and cider lovers, health-conscious eaters, people who love to support locally produced things, yogis, home cooks, gardeners — everyone! The event is family-friendly, too, with kids under 12 welcome for free.
4. Supporting an Amazing Cause
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The scope of Harrisburg VeggieFest goes even beyond connecting local businesses with the community and creating a great celebration of all things local and plant-based. Funds raised from the event will be donated to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, which has been working tirelessly since 1991 to reduce hunger in 27 counties across central PA. It partners with nearly 1,000 local agencies and programs to serve more than 140,000 people in need each month through its two Healthy Food Hubs in Harrisburg and Williamsport as well as its Food Pantry in Elizabethville. In keeping with its mission statement, “Fighting Hunger, Improving Lives, Strengthening Communities,” the CPFB is striving toward an incredible goal of providing access to enough nutritious food for everyone struggling with hunger in each of the 27 counties it serves by the year 2025.
So, while you’re enjoying an abundance of food and drinks at the Fest, you can feel great knowing that a portion of your ticket is going to help this amazing organization which is deeply dedicated to making sure that no of its neighbors in Central Pennsylvania are going hungry,
“Central Pennsylvania Food Bank is thrilled to benefit from the Harrisburg VeggieFest,” said Joe Arthur, executive director. “This kind of support helps us provide better access and better food to our neighbors who are struggling with hunger. Last year, we shared more than 11 million pounds of fresh fruits and veggies throughout Central Pennsylvania, and this coming year, we plan on sharing even more!”
Tickets, which are $20 and (just $10 for students and designated drivers) can be purchased online — don’t wait to snag yours, as there are only 350 tickets available, and last year, the event sold out! Street parking is available, and if you use the promo code “LUVHBG” in the Park Mobile app, you can get four free hours of parking on Saturday.
Harrisburg VeggieFest will be located in the atrium of Strawberry Square, at 320 Market St. in Harrisburg.
- Photos: Harrisburg Veggie Fest
