Hundreds visit South Texas town for annual vegan festival

The third annual Vegan Fest was held this year in Elsa on May 11. Elsa is in the Rio Grande Valley , about 22 miles northeast of McAllen.— a weekly dispatch about the people, places and policies defining Texas, produced by Texas Tribune journalists living in communities across the state.

The gathering was the Valley's third annual Vegan Fest, an event that draws vegans, vegetarians and even meat-eaters, showcasing that both vegan food and the appetite for it exist in the Valley. Aside from a few small gatherings in McAllen, there was a lack of vegan options and events, she said. So she and a friend brainstormed ideas for a festival that came to life in 2022. Taking up one city block in downtown Harlingen, the inaugural event included 15 food vendors who all sold out within an hour.

Vegan Fest became a trailblazer in the Valley. The region now hosts three festivals that cater to vegans including Earth Day Veg Fest, which held its second annual event last month, and BTX Vegan Fest, a festival in Brownsville which held its inaugural celebration in November.Clarissa Morales came to the festival, her 6-year-old daughter in tow, because she likes vegan food.

Clarissa Morales, 26, poses for a photo with her daughter, Mía Vásquez, 6, at Vegan Fest. “We don’t eat red meat. We like vegan food, but I’m not vegan. If it was more affordable I would be,” Morales said.She’s not alone. About two-thirds of plant-based buyers and say cost is why they don’t buy more of those products, according to a consumeragainst the state in August, arguing the law favors in-state animal-based meat producers — a $16.

Texas Politics Texas Policy Texas Government Economy Texas Legislature Elsa South Texas Rio Grande Valley

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