Plant The Power VegFest 2023

Connect to your inner power through a guided yoga flow and ground into the day with Malik Willoughby of MBUBE Institute in the Serenity Garden at Franklin Park Conservatory. All yoga experience levels are welcomed. Please bring your own yoga mat.

Welcome mindful movement, reflective dialogue and environmental wellness in community through a guided nature walk through Franklin Park Conservatory with Black Women In Nature (BWIN). Wear comfortable shoes and meet BWIN leaders near the Serenity Garden at Franklin Park Conservatory. This walk is free and open to the public.

Interested in implementing more healthy plant-based meals into your day but not sure where to start? Join Shanna Dean aka Chef Bae of Lifestyle Cafe for a brief cooking demo to help you get more comfortable in the kitchen.

Hip Hop lyricist, activist and social entrepreneur PBD Grey is joining us all the way from Atlanta, GA! He’ll be hitting the stage at 3:45 pm with a live performance, but first, let’s learn more about his story through a brief moderated talk.

Naimah, the lead storyteller of To Be Vegan & Black, has been learning about the politics of food deserts and the characteristics of traditional soul food for the past year and a half. With this research she has launched a campaign titled Lemme Eat, which aims to raise awareness about food accessibility and also educate on how to create plant-based dishes with basic ingredients. In this talk she'll not only be presenting some of that research but will also be exploring the validity of the claim that veganism in America is White culture, how Black people are reclaiming plant based eating more and more while creating a cultural shift, inspiration on how veganism can strengthen the Black community, creative food ideas, and more!

If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to start your garden or trying to find your #gardentribe, this is the panel to be at! Local farmers, Julialynn Walker, CMD Chiimeh and Adrienne Williams will share their experiences connecting to the land, its impact on their wellbeing and simple tips to get started.

Many Black folks and communities of color make their way into veganism through the health door in hopes of shifting the trajectory of their lives and generations to come after them. While any door into veganism is a welcomed door, this talk will introduce you to veganism as a social justice practice and how the foods we eat, environmental justice and animals rights are all connected.

While modern medicine and technology can serve a necessary need and purpose, it doesn’t always get to the root cause of an issue. Join Milicent for a dive deep into the history of pharmaceutical medicine, herbs and natural remedies. You will learn natural alternatives to help navigate “dis-eases” in the body and ways to source and prepare them!