Report from Portugal:
The 3-day vegan fest is becoming a popular celebration of veganism and vegetarianism in Portugal. During the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of November, people from all walks of life gathered in Lisbon, to learn more about veganism, attend workshops, share recipes, try new foods at the stalls, watch documentaries and participate in several activities.
It was a great opportunity to meet people and get to know what’s going on in Lisbon within the vegan community.
The name Veganario was inspired by the Latin word “atrium” which means “room/venue” Vegan+atrium…
The vegan fest was originally created by 3 friends; Nuno, who has been actively involved with many vegan projects in Lisbon, Pedro and Raghu. The goal was to create an event that could offer more than just a concert or music festival, but to include the philosophy of veganism and it’s lifestyle.
After Raghu’s experience at the “verdurada”, which is an event taking place in Brazil, the trio started dreaming about creating something similar in Lisbon, a city that lacked events focused on veganism. In 2008 a first edition took place.
In 2011, 2012 & 2013, with a new venue at the bar of the University of Lisbon, the Veganario took a big leap, turning into a 3 day festival, with more food stalls, magazines, books, more activities and more volunteers.
This year, the activities included puppet shows for the youngest ones, dance workshops, vegan cooking classes, contests, concerts and workshops organized by several animal rights associations.
You could find some traditional Portuguese bakery goods and ethnic foods of the world, all with a vegan twist. The traditional Portuguese vegan cooking workshop helped people creating new dishes without the use of any animal products which are usually used heavily in our Mediterranean based gastronomy.
Lisbon is becoming a very interesting vegan destination with a small but vibrant local community. Next year Lisbon will be waiting for you, please check the HappyCow’s calendar for info! Bring your ideas and your skills and share them with us.
The Veganario fest is a participative festival where everyone is welcome to contribute actively and get involved! It’s a festival that offers activities for both children and adults and where your pets are welcome too!
By Yara Coelho a passionate vegan traveler and creator of the personal development blog “Heart of a vagabond” Preparing now an epic trip from the Westerner point of Europe to Asia by land as a solo female traveler, exploring all the ethnic vegan delights and restaurants on the way!
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