Pensacola VegFest was in full effect on Saturday in Downtown Pensacola at the Community Maritime Park.

“This year we [are] bringing in new vendors and more chief demonstrations, along with a ton of new festival merchandise,” Pensacola Vegfest President, Whitney Hancock, said. The most anticipated vendor this year was Slutty Vegan. 

Slutty Vegan is an Atlanta-based, black-owned burger chain. The restaurant’s menu features a variety of burgers, sandwiches, chicken and shrimp, all 100% vegan, of course! The Atlanta restaurant has grown to become quite the biggest food chain throughout Georgia and has now expanded to Alabama and New York, creating a total of seven open locations and three soon to be open. 

Slutty Vegan was not the only popular restaurant in attendance. Other widely known vendors included Vuture Food, Southern Fried Vegan, Plant-Based Wellness Con Sabor, who made some delicious vegan street tacos, and Moody Mocha, who brought an assortment of vegan and gluten-free bakery items. 

This year, ticketing and parking was done a little differently. VegFest has created a V.I.V. (very important vegan) ticket tier, which comes with several perks, including free parking, a tote bag, a t-shirt, two raffle entries and a goodie bag filled with samples, coupons and products from vegan brands. No matter which ticket they went with, VegFest attendees got to experience the best vegan cuisine, chef demonstration, live music and shopping at vegan and eco-friendly vendors, all while admiring the beautiful views of the gorgeous Pensacola Bay. 

Benjamin Trey pulled up and stood in the line for Slutty Vegan and said that he was not disappointed, even though he waited for an hour. To him, it was worth every minute. Another attendee, Kenon Beasley, stated that he also waited in line for Slutty Vegan and tried the “One Night Stand.” Like Trey, he also felt that the wait was worth every minute. 

So, whether you are vegan, vegetarian, a meat-eater or trying something new, the VegFest was the place to be, bringing good food to the area for that purpose. In doing so, the festival makes such a huge difference in both our home and in the bigger picture.