The Vegan Social, a weekly night market for fans of vegan and plant-based food and products, is relocating from Atlanta Utility Works in East Point for its first event at Westside Motor Lounge on Wednesday.
Produced by vegan lifestyle and apparel brand Plant Based Drippin, nonprofit organization the Black Vegetarian Society of Georgia, and outdoor vegan food festival the Veggie Taste, the Vegan Social aims to promote healthy lifestyles.
Joseph “PBD Grey” Rumph, host and organizer of the Vegan Social, and founder of Plant Based Drippin, calls the event a “kickback” that families and entrepreneurs can enjoy, with good food, room for kids to play and opportunities to circulate dollars within the Black community.
“It’s a vision for the community where everyone, vegan or nonvegan, can feel welcomed,” Grey says. “It’s about making healthy cool and giving us a spot where we could kick it.”
Credit: The Vegan Social
Credit: The Vegan Social
Guests entering the Vegan Social will see live animals and local farmers selling fresh produce. The indoor and outdoor spaces will lead into a food truck park, a kids’ zone and vendor tables.
The first Vegan Social at Westside Motor Lounge will host six food trucks, including Superior Vegan, Nut Cafe and Sometimeatarian. Vegan Gator, an alternative seafood truck based in Gainesville, Florida, is traveling to join the festivities.
Market vendors include jewelry maker Celestial Adornments, history-meets-sports apparel company Afr-letics, and handcrafted soap brand Alchemy Soap Company.
Credit: Joseph Rumph
Credit: Joseph Rumph
Attendees can play giant versions of bingo, Jenga, Connect Four and other games while listening to music from a live deejay.
PBD Grey, a native of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, who moved to Atlanta in 2014, adopted veganism eight years ago and came up with the idea in order to attract health-conscious people.
Credit: Joseph Rumph
Credit: Joseph Rumph
Starting out with 12 vendors he personally knew, Grey produced the first Vegan Social on April 3 at Atlanta Utility Works. A hundred people showed up. The following week he grew to 26 vendors, with more food options including pancakes, noodle bowls, burgers, tacos and ice cream.
Stations for happy hour cocktails and massages were added, then recreational company ATL Camp C.O.R.E. hosted inflatable trampolines, bubbles and ball stations for children and families.
Credit: Joseph "PBD Grey" Rumph
Credit: Joseph "PBD Grey" Rumph
He says he decided to move the Vegan Social from Atlanta Utility Works to Westside Motor Lounge because the new location accommodates the event layout and could help achieve his attendance goal of more than 1,000 guests.
“It’s an elevated move that will enhance the experience for people who have come to the previous events,” he says.
Credit: Joseph Rumph
Credit: Joseph Rumph
Grey says the Vegan Social fills a void of healthier recurring event options in Atlanta. He hopes to expand the Vegan Social with musical performances and live cooking demonstrations, and wants it to become the go-to event in Atlanta on Wednesdays, regardless of anyone’s dietary choices.
“You’ve got to always think bigger, but it’s (about) making sure we have a place for vegans that is the spot to be, no matter what,” he said.
5-10 p.m. Every Wednesday. Westside Motor Lounge, 725 Echo St. NW, Atlanta. 678-388-9536. https://www.thevegan.social/
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