First Rehoboth Beach VegFest kicks off June 1

People from the coastal area will gather in Rehoboth Beach Saturday, June 1, for the best of everything vegetarian in and around Delmarva at the inaugural Rehoboth Beach VegFest. This free outdoor festival, to take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Epworth United Methodist Church, will feature engaging speakers, cooking demonstrations, vegetarian food, exhibitors, a kids’ area, a cupcake-eating contest and much more.

Co-organized by Compassion Over Killing and VegRehoboth, the Rehoboth Beach VegFest aims to highlight the benefits of meat-free eating while empowering others to stand up for animals every time they sit down to eat. Attendees can enjoy food from local favorites Cake Break, Hobos Restaurant, Modern Mixture, Nage Restaurant and more. Plus, the first 300 attendees will receive free goodie bags full of veg-friendly coupons and samples.

The event’s dynamic guest speaker lineup includes: Paul Shapiro, vice president of Farm Animal Protection at the Humane Society of the United States; Erica Meier, executive director of Compassion Over Killing; Gretchen Hanson, executive chef at Hobos Restaurant; John Schlimm, activist, educator, artist and international award-winning author; Dorothy Greet, health blogger at Plant Based Living; Joseph Gonzales, staff dietitian for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine; Deb Griffin, author of The Local Buzz; Katie Freer, teacher and children’s health educator; and Ruby Lathon, author and wellness advocate.

"Here in the beach region, there is so much interest in plant-based eating," said VegRehoboth founder and director Patricia Haddock. "VegFest is a great new event for our community, and a wonderful way for people to find out just how healthy and delicious veg eating can be. It's going to be a lot of fun."

Epworth UMC is at 19285 Holland Glade Road, Rehoboth Beach.

For more information about the event, go to RehobothVegFest.org.