Vegandale Festival NYC
For years I’d tell people I was fake vegan. I say fake because every once in a blue I would order a nice medium-well steak at a restaurant with no problem. Ever so often the thought of crispy fried bacon would warm my heart and I would fry some up with pure joy. Up until three months ago I had lived in this back and fourth energy.
Truth is I’ve had this on-again off-again relationship with meat for almost 10 years. It all started this one weekend I made the best barbeque ribs ever. They were so tender and so amazing that two days later I baked them again. I remember feeling so miserable after eating them and then the stomach pain started. Probably the worst pain I felt, even worse than getting hit with a dodge ball repeatedly during an intense game.
Soon after I suddenly began to deviate away from meat. Not intentionally either! My body would literally get sick upon entering the meat section of the supermarket during my shopping trips. Eventually I stopped purchasing and cooking meat in my home and would only indulge at restaurants outside. Weird right!
This past weekend I attended Vegandale for the second time. The festival was held at Randall’s Island Park in NYC. With over 200 vegan vendors participating I got to eat some of my favorite foods vegan style. Everything is so delicious I started wondering why did I ever eat meat in the first place. Be prepared to spend some money here, especially if you have a big appetite like me.
The festival is from 11am-7pm you can easily spend about $80 a person enjoying the entire day out in nature eating and drinking. In addition to stuffing your face you can enjoy interactive art exhibits, contests, and music. It gets pretty crowded but there is more than enough room to bring chairs and a blanket to lay out in the grass under a tree and just vibe out.
The downside are the lines to buy food and drinks. After a while you can expect a minimum 30 minute wait for some of the popular food trucks. Also, many vendors only accepted cash or the POS systems broke down after high usage. So having cash was much more simple than relying on your debit card.
Getting to the park is fun, but wear your walking shoes. I choose to enter from Harlem and walk across the Triboro Bridge. If you get to Harlem early enough you can find street parking at the foot of the bridge on 124th Street and 1st Avenue. No vehicles are allowed to enter the park during the festival so public transportation is the best bet. Besides the walk across the bridge is refreshing and has great views of the city skyline.
Whether you are vegan or not its a really great time outdoors, with great energy, and amazing food. Tickets to the festival are inexpensive I remember paying $10 for my ticket. Sometimes they have an early bird promo and you can snag some for as little as $5. Check the website and join me next year. If you live in a different city see when they will be visiting your town.
Here’s a few pictures. I didn’t take many since I was so busy eating my life away.
