The Charlottesville VegFest, a vibrant festival celebrating vegan cuisine and culture, experienced a surge in attendance this year, bringing in approximately 3,000 visitors on September 14—up by about 1,000 compared to last year.
Organizers attribute the increased turnout to an engaging mix of delicious food, live entertainment, and effective marketing strategies, all of which attracted a youthful crowd to the event held at Ix Art Park in downtown Charlottesville.
Lance Zimmerly, the social media manager for the plant-based restaurant Botanical Fare and one of the festival’s organizers, shared insights on this year’s successes. “I think we really refreshed the marketing & the look of Cville Vegfest this year, as well as putting a focus on free music, entertainment, and fun, so it really brought out people wanting to have a good time,” Zimmerly noted in an email to The Daily Progress.
This year’s attendance figures are particularly notable, considering the festival is only in its second year since being relaunched. Originally starting in 1996 as the Charlottesville Vegetarian Festival, the event was a pioneering force for vegan festivals in the South until its discontinuation in 2019. Following a significant overhaul, VegFest returned last year.
Reflecting on the challenges of organizing a relatively new festival, Zimmerly stated, “This is only our second year, so I think the biggest challenge is that everything is still so new, and I feel slightly inexperienced at times. But the only way to feel more confident and experienced is by pushing forward & making things better and better every year by improving the weak spots you know that you have.”
Zimmerly expressed optimism about the festival’s future, noting that there appears to be significant demand in Charlottesville for a vegan festival. “I think that we are SO fresh and new, that we just don’t have much data yet,” he explained. “But if you’ve been to the other Charlottesville Vegfests (2019 and prior years) before we brought it back to life, it’s plain to see even without official numbers that the sheer amount of attendance has amplified for Charlottesville’s only all-vegan festival. The interest & enthusiasm for it is definitely here & we couldn’t be more excited to see how our Cville Vegfest grows.”
Looking ahead, discussions regarding VegFest 2026 have already begun. Zimmerly remarked, “That’s already a conversation we’re having. I am very happy with the IX space so I think we will be staying there for a while, but I’m already looking to expand on the scope and programming of Vegfest. We tried to delve into all of the different facets of veganism for this year’s festival, but there is always room for improvements.”
Many vendors expressed their desire to return for the next iteration of the festival, further solidifying its growing reputation. “I think almost all of the ones I’ve talked to so far expressed that they wanted to return, which was great feedback to hear,” Zimmerly said.
Among the crowd favorites this year were newcomers like Ruby Scoops Ice Cream & Sweets, 1115 Mobile Kitchen, and Vegan Comforts Soul Food, alongside the well-loved Philly Vegan. Zimmerly pointed out, “I saw 1115 had a huge line.”
Another highlight of the event was the appearance of Fiona, the opossum ambassador from the Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary, who Zimmerly described as “an absolute diva.”
The festival also featured a diverse lineup of performances, which attendees found engaging. Over five hours, guests enjoyed local bands such as Meraki and the Falsies, a performance by Washington-based drag queen Cake Pop!, a puppet show by Nettle Shirts Puppet Works, and even a vegan pie-eating contest.
Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive. Many noted the enjoyable atmosphere, although there was one common complaint that organizers could not control: the weather.
“Most feedback was about the vibes being great, and it being such a fun time, but we definitely got some requests for next year like having more shaded areas, which I think we can easily deliver on,” Zimmerly acknowledged. “We had our fingers crossed for good weather this year, but we definitely didn’t expect the heat we had.”
As VegFest continues to establish itself within the community, the commitment of its organizers and vendors to creating a welcoming and enjoyable space for everyone is evident—setting the stage for future success in promoting veganism throughout Charlottesville.
