tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7957550124829440772024-03-05T23:07:55.045-08:00Chicago VeganManiaVeganManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10488182632304575272noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-795755012482944077.post-84729711464111202482010-09-15T06:32:00.000-07:002010-09-15T07:25:33.936-07:00Quick update!One of the things with planning an event like this is that while I have great intentions about updating the blog with all the great things that are going on, we are all so swamped with work that updating the blog gets pushed off the list so many times that I forget about it. This doesn't mean that there's not great stuff happening: it's just that we're all so busy making it happen.<br /><br />So, here's a little round-up of some great things to look forward to this year at Chicago VeganMania:<br /><br />* We're having a Luxury Lounge this year, with live painters, comfortable seating, gorgeous vegan-themed pendants for sale, a graffiti wall, and, of course, works of art. We're really excited about this space, curated by DJ Veganinblack, who will also be spinning from her large collection, with a focus on 80s electronica. Never fear, noshers: there will be coffee and soft drinks as well as baked goods from our famous Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale here, too!<br /><br />* Blythe, one of our fabulous volunteers, is busily coordinating you-so-want-these Swag Bags for the first one hundred in line age sixteen and over. Chock full o' vegan goodies from companies across the country, this is THE bag, friends. Figure out your transportation (we recommend train, bus or bike - a future blog post on transportation is forthcoming, I promise!) and get those feet in line!<br /><br />* Our starting musical act, the very talented <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.thegivingtreeband.com">Giving Tree Band</a>, has been getting a lot of airplay for their hypnotically melodic Circles on local station, WXRT and nationally. Their recently released album, <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Joke, The Threat and the Obvious</span>, debuted in the top forty Americana Airplay Chart. We are super excited to have them, and all our other entertainers, on board!<br /><br />* Local Green Machine <span style="font-weight: bold;">Gill Gillano</span> has tossed her hat into our ring this year, and she is coordinating a Green Team, something we wished for last year but simply didn't have the volunteer power to dedicate to. This year we do, thanks to Gill. She will be coordinating the effort to make sure stuff gets properly recycled, food waste gets composted, and so forth. Gill needs people to be a part of this noble effort, just lending a hand during a short shift. Would you be part of the Green Team? Please let Karen, our volunteer coordinator, know at <a href="mailto:cvmvolunteers@gmail.com"><span style="font-weight: bold;">cvmvolunteers@gmail.com</span></a>.<br /><br />* Did you see that link above? We need volunteers for all sort of fun things, such as: handing out Swag Bags, greeting new arrivals, handing out food samples, assisting some of our GORGEOUS chefs, helping to sell books, possibly picking up a speaker or a chef from the airport and getting a little one-on-one time, etc. How much fun would any of those jobs be? A LOT. Email Karen <a href="mailto:cvmvolunteers@gmail.com"><span style="font-weight: bold;">cvmvolunteers@gmail.com</span></a>! <br /><br />* We've finally got our <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.chicagoveganmania.com/schedule.htm">schedule</a> up, people! Doesn't that look amazing? Check out the bios for our <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.chicagoveganmania.com/speakers.htm">speakers</a>, <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.chicagoveganmania.com/chefs.htm">chefs</a> and <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.chicagoveganmania.com/performers.htm">performers</a>, too, when you get a chance.<br /><br />* Last year, as many of you know, we were flooded with the amount of people who joined us. That was our first year, and we were expecting it to be popular, but until you do it, you have no idea. Many of the food vendors didn't plan to bring enough food, and, indeed, some of them were sold out by 11:00 in the morning! This won't be the problem this year. The food vendors have all been vetted and are fully expecting an onslaught of hungry people and they will be stocked accordingly. Lots of drinks, too, this year. (Oops, we sort of forgot that whole hydration element last year: will not be a problem this year.) Also, thanks to pre-planning, the lines should be much shorter.<br /><br />* We'll have an awesome children's space this year! It's all still forming, but some of the features will be: eco-crafts, a graffiti wall, and a mini-stage, where kids can have their performances videotaped. We're also introducing our "Be a Vegan Rockstar" photo booth, where everyone (not just kids) can get photogtraphed while giving an onstage performance. Want to be a part of this effort? You know the drill. It's going to be fun!<br /><br />Okay, this is all off the top of a busy planner's head. But there will be all this and so much more. Vendors! Speakers! Cooking demos! A Luxury Lounge! Children's Space! The excitement is palpable and we're excited to have you be a part of it.<br /><br />See you then!VeganManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10488182632304575272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-795755012482944077.post-71374275857776658962010-08-04T12:41:00.000-07:002010-08-04T14:38:49.419-07:00Vegans Rule the Trough, Part II – A Photo EssayAs promised, here is a photo gallery of Team VeganMania's triumphant win at the Brown Cow Sixth Annual Trough-Eating Contest. For story and commentary, see the previous blog post or <a href="http://chicagoveganmania.blogspot.com/2010/08/vegans-rule-at-trough.html">click here</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcwqHRrt_-dSmnb7SFUPyd_5-zO3qGotARAzwOZYxqa41xdEdFheg1ABfBy0LsAtpQfXnP2n4sS6biEiEi1xLk6C9HyTFrTRNj80_ETFBqZ0FmlRQwTFBVWA2-JuqpMnuctLJdoUzMXNsF/s1600/browncow-01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 360px; height: 288px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcwqHRrt_-dSmnb7SFUPyd_5-zO3qGotARAzwOZYxqa41xdEdFheg1ABfBy0LsAtpQfXnP2n4sS6biEiEi1xLk6C9HyTFrTRNj80_ETFBqZ0FmlRQwTFBVWA2-JuqpMnuctLJdoUzMXNsF/s400/browncow-01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501669129378995442" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLsDBuQDfBdtFIYZF5x7TjmQXSxi5Db5bljn8vK5YFVYcWcZss7dKChYNhbMA6nwZj9nNEOfJooUqL-io3N-aJtO3oLBzd-zjt4PdeslcFTpcEowMWfSEAMJHPPIpNrlhtqcFazEFlBLSs/s1600/browncow02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; 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float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 360px; height: 258px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirGtzEOJ-1479Tb5fPhwnYXpJyGZri7fyF3PxWqiwmoU-bEXgEVrC6iyuqtZ5nDwYVSNHpz3Xoq0CpIMeCDCLRjVUhpPBr-ZjuEaQpb6hLfmc_M1sGS2-XkzvIpCYV4ZIWGpKcgwx9nzz6/s400/browncow06.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501668479086938930" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUp8wWSwvFPQcu1yzIN04a4Cce1G5CE5EfDz_sHZPNIn29UC0h9UiKA07idE7BlNtq7IncxwH2NTjVJK_s0IqKgWeOWoiMBRgThy_2WPlAnQrdcHqo9O4M8x5TQJV1gSeBnOKlvosOY7rz/s1600/browncow07.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 360px; height: 257px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUp8wWSwvFPQcu1yzIN04a4Cce1G5CE5EfDz_sHZPNIn29UC0h9UiKA07idE7BlNtq7IncxwH2NTjVJK_s0IqKgWeOWoiMBRgThy_2WPlAnQrdcHqo9O4M8x5TQJV1gSeBnOKlvosOY7rz/s400/browncow07.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501668470841633170" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0q9IVbwXtdNlJdIc8C-Ri0Pe8hodXBpuh5R_B-qG7SgCEStH2LAe5qPZI37BrlMYp_6EYh3QT8IEUH4FHcBcYeulG7hF-L5MWnxqtq7QuI_E6Tg3hXMlEJ2LjnGcP0Zn7SoN9jMH_qd44/s1600/browncow09.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 360px; height: 288px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0q9IVbwXtdNlJdIc8C-Ri0Pe8hodXBpuh5R_B-qG7SgCEStH2LAe5qPZI37BrlMYp_6EYh3QT8IEUH4FHcBcYeulG7hF-L5MWnxqtq7QuI_E6Tg3hXMlEJ2LjnGcP0Zn7SoN9jMH_qd44/s400/browncow09.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501668456848807698" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9P5ckZVwsuWtdQWWVQW-ktYmBn6Ef0rYINilCyYXt31os7Y2nZrGjDnNsD-yo4cqp474b-ThKFSuJ-xaC860WWEUX_LeZBHiDUWH7yUKmIZ-lmud14zUBgPl9o5GEKRG5nAR7ySP7xOOh/s1600/browncow08.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 360px; height: 288px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9P5ckZVwsuWtdQWWVQW-ktYmBn6Ef0rYINilCyYXt31os7Y2nZrGjDnNsD-yo4cqp474b-ThKFSuJ-xaC860WWEUX_LeZBHiDUWH7yUKmIZ-lmud14zUBgPl9o5GEKRG5nAR7ySP7xOOh/s400/browncow08.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501668464930382754" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIW5j2auwhsk1jZMZi6l8i3n9F0dXdsUMclZ8mXFXHieS-5XxcNRqeePrkr3akDwpGPl16kVyNm3gVgWS0GIgksIZEw_FmpzIVo1pFktGoPsJazghYT9m19FVLHJWjNghoVDo7pILh__XM/s1600/browncow10.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; 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float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 360px; height: 306px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7A89WQcFlkWni6QMDIgZLInjMDc35QTNROSKs6YH5hHwvo7itR-inlAUIETjA1iAaoME5jE5rRLy7EMK3Hi6jgRY84EmPYKM4KekSnZyqObM_ogtad2CIPU4LkNoQhVW-DHltoysBjVX9/s400/browncow14.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501668020369843970" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9r704tWU2swBu-3YpWYJzF3b2iklz1VXNCfKej4AlKW5tMlRDeXpcz_k0_0LCbcmE3X-KX51o1d5Uirj1QYBZOrcaT6Ox28BLdhXe3l8KPWeCxPajMI_8o0JUm9GLtui3QdpohePHGn2/s1600/browncow15.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 360px; height: 244px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9r704tWU2swBu-3YpWYJzF3b2iklz1VXNCfKej4AlKW5tMlRDeXpcz_k0_0LCbcmE3X-KX51o1d5Uirj1QYBZOrcaT6Ox28BLdhXe3l8KPWeCxPajMI_8o0JUm9GLtui3QdpohePHGn2/s400/browncow15.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501668016745886578" border="0" /></a>VeganManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10488182632304575272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-795755012482944077.post-2042240349896871432010-08-03T08:45:00.000-07:002010-08-03T09:59:35.164-07:00VEGANS RULE AT THE TROUGH!<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvEmBbp8qFFeW0LO2FXBFg3N6ePH9yDI-D3grLYx_ePfFlm3v-0Jzauo86QTmKD04edbhHGnVsv5iZ_CwVhlr6Z_Tyh-fu_UAoKjPHNtSstaNfzROT7Yje-SqrD_trkQKxfgN8cSuDS4X/s1600/browncow2010-10m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvEmBbp8qFFeW0LO2FXBFg3N6ePH9yDI-D3grLYx_ePfFlm3v-0Jzauo86QTmKD04edbhHGnVsv5iZ_CwVhlr6Z_Tyh-fu_UAoKjPHNtSstaNfzROT7Yje-SqrD_trkQKxfgN8cSuDS4X/s400/browncow2010-10m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501210709568022002" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The winning VeganMania team (left to right): Ross Cannon, Jeff Olichwier and John Beske</span></span><br /></div><br />Last night, Chicago VeganMania entered a team in the 6th Annual Brown Cow Ice Cream Trough Eating Contest. The Trough is a gargantuan sundae containing 21 scoops of ice cream with massive amounts whipped cream, cherries and sprinkles. As reported yesterday, this was the first vegan team that ever entered the contest, and it required the creation of a separate all-vegan version of the concoction, which contained three scoops apiece of seven different flavors of Chicago SoyDairy's Temptation Vegan Ice Cream, and a specially blended non-dairy whipped cream.<br /><br />The VeganMania team completely dominated the event, obliterating the concoction in 6:52, or slightly more than half the time of the nearest competitor. In fact, when officials shut down the competition after 22 minutes, only three teams had finished at all.<br /><br />The reasons why the VeganManiacs so thoroughly devoured the competition may take more time to understand. No one on the team had ever done this sort of thing before and they only decided less than two days before to enter, so there was no time for preparation. They faced a variety of teams from ambitious college students, to guys who look like they'd be good at this sort of thing. Yet, at the point when Ross, John and Jeff set down their spoons and triumphantly thrust their arms in the air, most of the other troughs looked as though they had barely been touched.<br /><br />More significantly, while the vegan team was dancing and celebrating, and all went home to nice dinners, the other competitors were clutching their stomachs and wearing pained expressions.<br /><br />One reason was Jeff Olichwier, who easily consumed 40% of the ice cream himself, easing the load of Ross and John, and whose first words after victory were, "Great, where's dessert?", but that still doesn't account for the vast dominance.<br /><br />At least one other team's coach was quick to call foul. "These guys had a completely different product", said the white-haired man, whose name we didn't feel compelled to collect since we're not pretending to be a reputable news organization. "Their spoons slid right through it like it wasn't even there!"<br /><br />"It's true we'll have to put an asterisk next to this one on the plaque," conceded Brown Cow owner Connie Brown. "But we very carefully measured everything. Their trough had the same number of scoops, the same caloric and sugar content, the same air density, everything."<br /><br />Is the different chemical makeup of the product responsible or may victory be at least partially attributable to the nature of the vegan diet? A training guide for eating contests suggests that competitors train by eating a large amount of low-calorie high fiber and high water-content foods like fruits and vegetables that will stretch out the stomach allowing it to hold more food. Well, this is a pretty good definition of a vegan diet.<br /><br />At the same time, humans did not eat dairy until a few millennia ago, and then only in northern European countries. It is said that the body needs to produce a special enzyme to digest dairy products, and that many people, particularly people whose ancestors are not from northern Europe, have difficulty producing this enzyme. That's why lactose intolerance is so widespread and why dairy is the most common allergen. Perhaps even people who can abundantly produce this enzyme still can't create enough of it to keep up with massive consumption such as a Brown Cow Trough.<br /><br />"I think that if the other teams would have eaten the same thing we did, they'd have done better than they did," pondered VeganManiac Ross Cannon. "But we would have still beat them."<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">More commentary and a photo gallery to follow tonight.</span>VeganManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10488182632304575272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-795755012482944077.post-58469004353639353422010-08-02T05:18:00.000-07:002010-08-02T06:04:14.282-07:00Tonight! Cheer on the vegan Super-Eaters!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR8zsc36XJtPkM-BBcXnzMnzs_K7EYx0-dctOx886Dpd-m91FcmXN-jXi-q2Attd3JNBfoZwNyKuEeuOV8cg_D9BxLRqHkVD_oY20t4xD9C6mwKqnJ30P85e3rhZ16fDV-SI-J6BqNsHn5/s1600/thetrough.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 110px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR8zsc36XJtPkM-BBcXnzMnzs_K7EYx0-dctOx886Dpd-m91FcmXN-jXi-q2Attd3JNBfoZwNyKuEeuOV8cg_D9BxLRqHkVD_oY20t4xD9C6mwKqnJ30P85e3rhZ16fDV-SI-J6BqNsHn5/s200/thetrough.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500786546705559842" border="0" /></a>Come witness the spectacle of extreme food competition as three brave VeganManiacs enter the fray at the Brown Cow Trough Eating Contest. The Trough is an intimidatingly huge sundae containing 22 scoops of ice cream with all the resplendent sauces, whipped cream, sprinkles, nuts and cherries. Each year, several intrepid groups of three super-eaters competes to see who can eat one of these monstrosities in the shortest amount of time.<br /><br />There has never before been a vegan team competing in the Trough Eating Contest, and in fact none of the employees of the Brown Cow Ice Cream parlor can recall ever having assembled a vegan version of their famous abomination. But the Brown Cow, located in Chicago's near westen suburb Forest Park, has long been popular among vegans for it's inclusion of fine sorbets as well as tantalizing Temptation soy ice cream flavors from Chicago SoyDairy.<br /><br />Anyone who has ever been to a vegan potluck knows that once we're presented with proper food, we can pack it in as well as anyone, and particularly around vegan ice cream we can be quite ravenous. So this year, we've decided to take the dairy cow by the horns and gently lead her to the nearest animal sanctuary by substituting at least a couple of weeks worth of her product with the healthier, more compassionate and more Earth-friendly organic soy variety.<br /><br />The Maniacs searched high and low and came up with the ultimate vegan team. Jeff Olichwier, John Beske, and Ross Cannon are the types of guys who always get seconds and will eat right off your plate when you're not looking. They can each eat a lot of ice cream! They're good at this. And they'll need to be. They'll be competing against six teams of seasoned super-eating pros (who will all be consuming the traditional non-vegan Troughs).<br /><br />Come cheer on the vegan gastronomical athletes, and check out some fine vegan ice cream for yourself in the process.<br /><br />Brown Cow Ice Cream Parlor<br /><span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">7347 Madison Street<br />Forest Park, IL<br /><br />7:00 tonight.<br /></span></span>VeganManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10488182632304575272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-795755012482944077.post-26754630637313671222010-08-02T05:01:00.000-07:002010-08-02T05:15:37.984-07:00Waking Up the Blog<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Y3IyhGfqN4Y87fjBKwLuuyYQtcFuAM_e6Tahv_w0PDRlZgdQ02suD0fO6iPWsjW-V5lCo-8lEhGkFznZbFJs5Gt-h8A6BeNQ79b9BoVl2GMOlmOZ9wr1TPsQUJLuCztDVC4SxFilrVK-/s1600/RipVanWinkle.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Y3IyhGfqN4Y87fjBKwLuuyYQtcFuAM_e6Tahv_w0PDRlZgdQ02suD0fO6iPWsjW-V5lCo-8lEhGkFznZbFJs5Gt-h8A6BeNQ79b9BoVl2GMOlmOZ9wr1TPsQUJLuCztDVC4SxFilrVK-/s200/RipVanWinkle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500781789580970290" border="0" /></a>Whoa! This blog has just taken a way too long of a break. If all the news you have received about Chicago VeganMania has come from this blog, you might get the impression that we're not doing anything at all or that perhaps Chicago VeganMania isn't even happening this year. Perish the thought! In fact, we'll be back in the same spot and way bigger and better even then before (if that is even possible).<br /><br />Even while this blog was sleeping, the Maniacs have been super busy creating an outstanding event. We've persuaded some of the most incredible vegan heroes to join us at Pulaski Park on October 9th, and we have added a whole bunch of new attractions to make sure that everyone attending Chicago VeganMania has the most wonderful and exciting experience of the season.<br /><br />In the next few days, we'll put out a flurry of posts designed to get you caught up with all our progress. There is so much to say. Stay tuned!VeganManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10488182632304575272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-795755012482944077.post-69229340169871280492010-04-05T22:01:00.000-07:002010-04-05T22:32:01.241-07:00Come to our Spring Shindig!!<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4mCi0Cj5cIq633lDFEF2wlNjV7PIRdKUKwEcgZmHiicbi4MrAAzhraXSux6cgXaWlpc-24dSh36nxWF6UkYT0rNAaIMrawPa1-D4KJVbrdph4_-5SUFWpEpnBCPp1IwtcnClSSvzduKE/s1600/SpringShindig-teeny.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 311px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4mCi0Cj5cIq633lDFEF2wlNjV7PIRdKUKwEcgZmHiicbi4MrAAzhraXSux6cgXaWlpc-24dSh36nxWF6UkYT0rNAaIMrawPa1-D4KJVbrdph4_-5SUFWpEpnBCPp1IwtcnClSSvzduKE/s400/SpringShindig-teeny.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456892602792641570" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Okay, the big day (well, the big day for the spring) is less than a week away, and we have lots of juicy details to share about Chicago VeganMania's Big Spring Shindig Fundraiser. We will have tons of tantalizing vegan food – all you can eat, in fact, from some of Chicago's best vegan restaurants. Here's the lineup: Soul Vegetarian, Veggie Bite, The Great Taste Café, Delicious Café, Cousin's Incredible Vitality, Green Spirit Raw Living, Upton's Naturals and more. Plus there will be an open bar featuring Death's Door vodka, Goose Island Beer, and lots of other wine and spirits, plus great soft drinks from Apple Rush. We'll also have some wonderful auction items including gorgeous gift baskets from Esutras, vegan bling from Snooty Jewelry, snappy couture and graphical goodies from Herbivore, and many other wonderful things. And everyone who comes will get a swag bag full of vegan treats and tchotchkes. Dance to the darkwave and house grooves of DJ Veganinblack, and hang with the some of most beautiful and enchanting vegan movers and shakers in Chicago.<br /><br />It's all happening Saturday from 7:00-10:00pm at Framing Mode and Gallery at <span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">1526 South Wabash Avenue in Chicago's South Loop. Tickets are $40 at the door, and only $35 in advance. Get yours now at <a href="http://www.chicagoveganmania.com/">ChicagoVeganMania.com</a>!<br /></span></span>VeganManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10488182632304575272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-795755012482944077.post-64054110427641311732010-03-22T08:43:00.000-07:002010-03-22T09:36:40.506-07:00Two VeganMania Heroes in the NewsIt's been a great morning to read the news today. Not only are there two inspiring stories about Chicago area vegans who have found exciting and fulfilling ways to bring the vegan lifestyle to the rest of the world, but both of these amazing entrepreneurs are part of the Chicago VeganMania core group, both were instrumental to the success of last year's event, and both are lending their considerable talents to making Chicago VeganMania 2010 the most incredible vegan event ever.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Kh2RVVzag8XGFLCHmfoJ8udNdOXMFUrlvs1RrF4Cxyl18HBCszEEBsjh3D-DbeY_Gp3UjtUeeg3ymmQvVp7fzB9M-h2DRUUdYR182fjgGKeK-zrsYu6L9jnk6qKICz-TOxjCgMEmvXV4/s1600-h/leanne.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 137px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Kh2RVVzag8XGFLCHmfoJ8udNdOXMFUrlvs1RrF4Cxyl18HBCszEEBsjh3D-DbeY_Gp3UjtUeeg3ymmQvVp7fzB9M-h2DRUUdYR182fjgGKeK-zrsYu6L9jnk6qKICz-TOxjCgMEmvXV4/s200/leanne.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451496599519859154" border="0" /></a>First, there is a lively and enriching <a href="http://www.oprah.com/style/Vegan-Fashion-Myths-About-Compassionate-Couture">interview on Oprah.com</a> this morning with our own Leanne Maily-Hilgart, the wünderkind behind the beautiful coats and fashion of <a href="http://www.vautecouture.com/">Vaute Couture</a>. Leanne, who is already riding high from Vaute Couture's successful first season (not to mention her beautiful cover shot and story in the March-April 2010 issue of <a href="http://vegnews.myshopify.com/collections/back-issues">VegNews</a> magazine), tells her story of vegan transcendence to the legions of Oprah fans, and goes on to dispel the five most common myths of vegan fashion. There's even a slideshow featuring some of Vaute Couture's gorgeous designs. Yay, Leanne!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoOHs6niZODUzNzDpex-kZBPTn8jsJnVe6l-LCoKKQRPSzFKKk152eNHlTXwhmyvTekmia11O51_bE9AsB1y4Jyfh8SQldCRk8Bide17AAZS0p3d4B49q5UVBAr2-Ji9pJ05ArQTBD3n-M/s1600-h/botcheesecake.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoOHs6niZODUzNzDpex-kZBPTn8jsJnVe6l-LCoKKQRPSzFKKk152eNHlTXwhmyvTekmia11O51_bE9AsB1y4Jyfh8SQldCRk8Bide17AAZS0p3d4B49q5UVBAr2-Ji9pJ05ArQTBD3n-M/s200/botcheesecake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451496397239576562" border="0" /></a>Not to be outdone, CVM core group member Josh Alper and his talented Chef-Daughter Betty of the delectable Bot Bakery are featured in a tasty article in Daily Candy called <a href="http://www.dailycandy.com/chicago/article/81316/Vegan-Gluten-Free-Goods-from-Bot-Bakery">Hot to Bot</a>. Betty has perfected the art and science of delicious vegan and gluten-free pastries and other delicacies that can be had at Chicago's best local foods grocery store, <a href="http://www.greengrocerchicago.com/">Green Grocer</a>, as well at Betty and Josh's wonderful <a href="http://www.gfreev.com/">Great Taste Café</a> in the downtown Streeterville neighborhood.<br /><br />Vaute Couture and the Bot Bakery are just two of the many exciting local vegan businesses who will be gracing the huge Chicago VeganMania festival on October 9 at Pulaski Park. We'll profile more of these wonderful businesses throughout the spring and summer as they make news (<span style="font-style: italic;">and they will!</span>). But for today, let's savor the thought that we live in a city with such great vegan pioneers as Leanne, Josh and Betty.<br /><br />Congratulations!VeganManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10488182632304575272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-795755012482944077.post-13167979291550276752010-03-20T21:45:00.000-07:002010-03-20T22:57:02.462-07:00Come To Our Spring Shindig Kickoff Fundraiser!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2GDCwv1ULf_c1lywWgeJF8Jm2soi4_8rRtaOM7eVKWDy1YpWTmhH_IHD4W_CP8boYRR4WKhoblTePsool9ZGYuesNT2TzTPSxRjFTCLCbzQHvzTrh6MrUvA1XKCQLcTNhXMOopgzwdPfp/s1600-h/shindiginvite4blog.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 216px; height: 280px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2GDCwv1ULf_c1lywWgeJF8Jm2soi4_8rRtaOM7eVKWDy1YpWTmhH_IHD4W_CP8boYRR4WKhoblTePsool9ZGYuesNT2TzTPSxRjFTCLCbzQHvzTrh6MrUvA1XKCQLcTNhXMOopgzwdPfp/s320/shindiginvite4blog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450962073352948178" border="0" /></a><br />The season leading up to the massive 2010 Chicago VeganMania has officially begun with our first big tabling gig last weekend at the Family Farmed EXPO. We connected with a whole bunch of great people, and it really got us fired up for all the wonderful events and plans leading up to the Big Day.<br /><br />Now we're ready to announce the most exciting thing we'll be doing all spring! On Saturday evening, April 10th, we're hosting a fantastic Spring Shindig at Framing Mode & Gallery in the South Loop. Here's a chance to hang out with Chicago's vegan elite and enjoy a variety of delicious vegan food from some of Chicago's best restaurants and an open bar featuring local spirits and other drinks. Plus, we'll have a silent auction, tasty tunes and atmosphere from DJ Veganinblack, and more to come from local cruelty-free vendors! You'll be among the first to hear about all the wonderful things we have in store for this year's Chicago VeganMania, and all the other ways we'll be celebrating and promoting Chicago's vegan community. Best of all, you'll be helping us create another milestone event that will show the world just how wonderful it is to be a vegan in Chicago.<br /><br />Here are the details:<br />Chicago VeganMania's Spring Shindig<br />Saturday, April 10, 7-10pm<br />at Framing Mode & Gallery<br />1526 S. Wabash in Chicago's South Loop<br />312-566-0027<br /><a href="http://www.framingmode.com/">FramingMode.com</a><br /><br />Tickets at $35 in advance, and $40 at the door if there are any left. It's not a big space, so it's sure to sell out. Tickets are available online at <a href="http://www.chicagoveganmania.com/">ChicagoVeganMania.com</a>.<br /><br />Join the fun. It will be a magic night!VeganManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10488182632304575272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-795755012482944077.post-64270648180266641882010-03-10T22:22:00.000-08:002010-03-10T22:41:58.256-08:00Visit us at our first tabling event of the year!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQpIwQvFhU-ybKWYkY5dsR4MLZ19cy3cajY5UUnSAq40-WUhNqEbCkMcih6y7U2vcLvRGsgeKLfQRB61610BePWpDX5vZR1TttwbjnUTbr_PsJGn5rK6RyK8nJATad4JteYpwgK60aVMGa/s1600-h/Expo2010logo.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 162px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQpIwQvFhU-ybKWYkY5dsR4MLZ19cy3cajY5UUnSAq40-WUhNqEbCkMcih6y7U2vcLvRGsgeKLfQRB61610BePWpDX5vZR1TttwbjnUTbr_PsJGn5rK6RyK8nJATad4JteYpwgK60aVMGa/s200/Expo2010logo.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447258222045685842" border="0" /></a><br />The long, exciting road to Chicago VeganMania 2010 begins this Saturday at the UIC Forum in Chicago. We'll be tabling all day at the 5th annual FamilyFarmed EXPO. The EXPO is a big celebration of Chicago's local food scene. Now, we love Chicago, we love local, and we love food, so we're excited to be there to help build a synergistic connection between local farmers, food producers, restaurants, supermarkets, institutions, governments, and the public. There will be chef's demos (including Jo Kaucher and Kim Gracen from the Chicago Diner), workshops, a food court, more than 100 exhibitors, and of course, us. We'll be there all day sharing our plans for what is shaping up to be an amazing Chicago VeganMania 2010.<br /><br />The Family Farmed EXPO is happening Saturday, March 13, from 10:00 - 6:00 at the UIC Forum at Harrison and Halsted near the UIC campus in Chicago. Tickets are $20 at the door, but cheaper online. Visit <a href="http://www.familyfarmedexpo.com">FamilyFarmedExpo.com</a> to learn more or buy tickets. See you there!VeganManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10488182632304575272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-795755012482944077.post-35062290898870610642010-02-07T18:01:00.000-08:002010-02-07T20:52:10.307-08:00Calling All Vegan Musicians, Dancers, and Performers!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisbYJ4fRAShDt0jLuLJOBNc8-YGOLx3fPVg0dxZsysku0WRVIisPYQO7HxJk0N5aIujRp6Zs07aAunCDt7TRKFgzCstgU9gkiZpinKDya4ZlBtwv4em_9mm3gmoE72NNvObgztL_vsvZmJ/s1600-h/CVM09-Deserae5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisbYJ4fRAShDt0jLuLJOBNc8-YGOLx3fPVg0dxZsysku0WRVIisPYQO7HxJk0N5aIujRp6Zs07aAunCDt7TRKFgzCstgU9gkiZpinKDya4ZlBtwv4em_9mm3gmoE72NNvObgztL_vsvZmJ/s200/CVM09-Deserae5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435688761633435858" border="0" /></a>This October's Chicago VeganMania is one of the best venues in town to show off vegan talent to a mass audience. Last year, the event drew more than 1,500 spectators, most of whom watched one or more of the six performances we presented on the main stage. This year promises to be an even bigger and stronger spectacle, based on the enthusiasm of all last year's attendees, the resolve of all the people who were kicking themselves for not coming, and the strength of the marketing and social networking plan we have in place for this year. We will spend several weeks or months promoting each performer, and we'll have bios, photos and links to their websites sent out to thousands of vegans, vegetarians, and veg-curious people all over the country.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi31uILQFYF3YyLFfB5qk3LsbZ2Cx02P59bQqYTChNeRsm-egUnciaLhoE9NTpIpa4QQ0qhmkZOKvpOjOCaVseeEchjt6W7jUphp5rZif3SxJDiGKb7DN65YZorhYmGMkr48q7mQZbUYeL0/s1600-h/CVM09-BryanHarrell2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi31uILQFYF3YyLFfB5qk3LsbZ2Cx02P59bQqYTChNeRsm-egUnciaLhoE9NTpIpa4QQ0qhmkZOKvpOjOCaVseeEchjt6W7jUphp5rZif3SxJDiGKb7DN65YZorhYmGMkr48q7mQZbUYeL0/s200/CVM09-BryanHarrell2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435688769333675122" border="0" /></a>We are looking for musicians, singers, dancers, acting or comedy troupes, acrobats, and performers with special talents (like incredible jugglers or jump rope artists). Each act will perform on a gorgeous stage for about 30-45 minutes in front of a crowd that will likely number several hundred people.<br /><br />Several acts have already applied, and we'd like to secure our lineup as soon as we can so we can begin promoting it, so we urge you to contact us soon.<br /><br />If you have an act that you would like to have considered for Chicago VeganMania, please send us an email at <a href="mailto:%20chicagoveganmania@gmail.com">chicagoveganmania@gmail.com</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL88tSinZSUPRsvmAqPdtvZn987PvoJ_b3QHhiPE9IF4HcF9KmJeS3A5fbjlhIYdRANsnr0B0yrz4xnZLWK0HHC3T6wjfL0qwpC1ZjA0fv0VlXfJh-k6JUuU6mQ8tXGrAA3dhfbQY-Dom9/s1600-h/CVM09-Pyrotechniq10.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL88tSinZSUPRsvmAqPdtvZn987PvoJ_b3QHhiPE9IF4HcF9KmJeS3A5fbjlhIYdRANsnr0B0yrz4xnZLWK0HHC3T6wjfL0qwpC1ZjA0fv0VlXfJh-k6JUuU6mQ8tXGrAA3dhfbQY-Dom9/s200/CVM09-Pyrotechniq10.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435688778235533026" border="0" /></a>Note: since Chicago VeganMania is dedicated to showcasing our vegan culture and community, special consideration will be given to acts whose members are vegan or vegetarian.VeganManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10488182632304575272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-795755012482944077.post-65905506015851528262010-01-26T03:28:00.000-08:002010-01-26T03:51:23.595-08:00Vegan Bake Sale for Haiti<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/object2/487/79/n306338631200_5755.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 210px;" src="http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/object2/487/79/n306338631200_5755.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Some of the people connected with Chicago VeganMania are using their ability to create delicious vegan goodies as a way to raise money for the earthquake victims in Haiti. If you have a desire to help a great and urgent cause (and/or a sweet tooth), please read on:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Two Vegan Bake Sales for Haiti</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Lucida Grande;"><span style="font-size:12;">The first is <b>Sunday, Jan. 31</b> from <b>noon until 5:00</b> at <b>Greenheart, 1911 W. Division</b>. We need baked goods, buyers and people to help us spread the word. Please do any or all of the above! Money will go to Food For Life, a vegan disaster-relief food distribution charity and American Red Cross.<br /><br />The second event is on <b>Sunday, Feb. 7</b> from <b>11:00 – 5:00</b> at <b>Renegade Handmade, 1924 W. Division</b>. Same info otherwise as above.<br /><a href="http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0ASCkTQePZgcWZGhweng2N3NfMGdkOW10Y2Z6&hl=en"><br />Sign up to donate baked goods </a><a target="_blank" href="http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0ASCkTQePZgcWZGhweng2N3NfMGdkOW10Y2Z6&hl=en"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/event.php?eid=306338631200&index=1">Here's the Facebook page</a><a target="_blank" href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/event.php?eid=306338631200&index=1"></a></span></span>VeganManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10488182632304575272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-795755012482944077.post-39425404900797832002010-01-26T02:59:00.000-08:002010-01-26T03:27:43.382-08:00We're Coming Back! Save the Date.We've taken a bit of a hiatus with this blog, but that doesn't mean we've just been sitting around. Our core group has met several times already, and we have been quietly setting the ground for Chicago VeganMania 2010! We've already set a date and a venue:<br /><br />Saturday, October 9<br />Pulaski Park Fieldhouse<br />1419 W. Blackhawk in Chicago<br />(same place as last year)<br /><br />We haven't completely set the hours yet, but it will probably start at 10:00 again and last a bit longer than last year, probably until 6:00.<br /><br />CVM2010 promises to be even bigger, better, brighter and more exciting that CVM2009. We are currently lining up sponsors, exhibitors, speakers and entertainers. We have also addressed last year's biggest problem: restaurants running out of food. We told them all it was going to be big, but most of our restaurant partners decided to play it safe and just bring small amounts of food. This year, they know better, and we can assure everyone that there will be a bountiful selection of some of the most delicious vegan cuisine in Chicago.<br /><br />There will also be a several of peripheral events the same weekend: parties, concerts, get-togethers, etc., most of which will be sponsored by other like-minded organizations, but will alll be promoted in this space. And we're encouraging restaurants and other veg-friendly establishments to offer specials for the weekend. Our goal is to make Chicago a major destination for vegans and vegetarians from around the country and world during that weekend (and show the world that Chicago is a wonderful place for vegans).<br /><br />So start looking for regular updates on this blog. In the coming weeks, we'll also be announcing some upcoming events including some great festivals we'll be attending, and an exciting spring fundraising event. We will also soon be releasing our first CVM2010 newsletter, so watch for information about how to get on the list.<br /><br />Stay tuned.VeganManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10488182632304575272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-795755012482944077.post-30058920599147874842009-10-13T23:01:00.000-07:002009-10-13T23:21:33.714-07:00Three Great Recaps...We keep hearing so many stories from people about how they were blown away by Chicago VeganMania. There weren't a whole lot of people from the media there, but we did inspire a couple of really heartfelt and positive stories.<br /><br />First, ChicagoNow.com columnist Shamontiel, dropped in to check it out and ended up staying all day and then writing <a href="http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/message-from-montie/2009/10/hundreds-of-veggie-friendly-chicagoans-celebrated-chicago-veganmania.html">this wonderful column</a> (which contains a nice photo album!).<br /><br />And Examiner.com columnist Marla Rose (full disclosure: she was also a key organizer of CVM) wrote <a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-23456-Chicago-Vegan-Restaurants-Examiner%7Ey2009m10d12-Chicago-VeganMania-a-huge-success">this beautiful recap</a>.<br /><br />Then, today, AFreshSqueeze.com sent out <a href="http://www.afreshsqueeze.com/articleDtl.php?id=4ad4ee12ad4c0">this fantastic story and video</a>.<br /><br />We'll keep reposting stories like these as they come in.VeganManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10488182632304575272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-795755012482944077.post-21482554461815872862009-10-11T09:59:00.001-07:002009-10-11T11:09:33.173-07:00WOW! What a Day!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsWXL7uU9BY_S_0rZZ-ZEhq1_xAICCbLnqfuQKcnJJOGbUOuEELgZdK1nZhV5OwdkhF3RnYYDlMnDNIYydiUQY4_5dO9TxOzgkFkuFOM0xzXT6jbFP5pteNzEfiopFjUi2IqXknDorNLeN/s1600-h/big-auditorium-med.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsWXL7uU9BY_S_0rZZ-ZEhq1_xAICCbLnqfuQKcnJJOGbUOuEELgZdK1nZhV5OwdkhF3RnYYDlMnDNIYydiUQY4_5dO9TxOzgkFkuFOM0xzXT6jbFP5pteNzEfiopFjUi2IqXknDorNLeN/s400/big-auditorium-med.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391390134114037730" border="0" /></a>The first Chicago VeganMania festival is now history, and it is the general consensus among the organizers, participants, and attendees that it exceeded everyone's expectations! First, let's talk about the crowd. When the doors first opened at 10:00, the line of people waiting to get in stretched for more than two blocks, and there was a steady stream of people coming in all day until a few minutes before closing. We're still gathering the numbers, but all fours rooms werye pretty packed all day. The crowds overwhelmed the food vendors, many of whom had been expecting this to be a much smaller event (we tried to tell everybody it would be big, but no one predicted how big it would be), and several vendors ran out of food, some even before noon. Thanks to some heroic effort by several of them, notably Soul Vegetarian (who made <span style="font-style: italic;">three</span> trips back to South 75th Street to load their truck full of more food!) everyone was eventually fed, and most were happy despite the long lines. As far as the food itself, there was a great variety from raw foods from Cousin's Incredible Vitality and Raw Creations, comfort foods from Soul Veg and The Chicago Diner, quick treats from Veggie Bite, Upton's Naturals, Great Taste Café, Cru Cacao, and Delicious Café, and a wonderful sampling of delectable goodies from Ste. Martaen vegan cheeses, Match (vegan) Meats, and Vega smoothies.<br /><br />Then there was the entertainment! The mainstage was alive all day starting with pop punksters Circular Convention, a trio of 13-year-old girls who played with enough enthusiasm to set the whole place ablaze. Next, everyone was treated to an amazing performance of belly dance from Deserae, who, at one point, danced with a sword on her hip and another on her head. She was followed by the great singer-songwriter Bryan Harrell, who peppered his act with songs from his CD about our relationships with animals, "A Rare Breed of Love." He was followed by an electrifying performance of electronica from synth artist dreamlogicc, whose snakelike contortions matched the twist and turns of his music, and then the dance troupe Pyrotechnic, whose acrobatic spinning performance held the crowd in rapt attention. The day was brought to a close by the powerful funk-influence rock of Darmata, whose tight instrumentation and tongue-twisting vocals brought down the house.<br /><br />Nearby, in the Gallery Hall, attendees enjoyed a gallery filled with the stunning works of six different woman artists, as well as a beautiful display of cruelty-free couture in the Compassion Fashion Gallery. They also strolled around tables bedecked with the wares of fashion, jewelry and bodycare vendors, all enveloped by a hypnotic bed of music laid down by DJs Peter Propaganda, Scarylady Sarah, and Veganinblack.<br /><br />And across a hallway filled with tables manned by our sponsors and speakers, the Exhibitor Room hummed with the activity of dozens of booths from progressive companies and a vast array of nonprofits. One visitor from out-of-state couldn't believe his eyes, "You mean you have several vegetarian, vegan and raw communities?" The far side of the room was filled with the laughter of happy children as they built musical instruments and played games in the Children's Center.<br /><br />Meanwhile, upstairs, the Speaker's Hall drew large audiences to hear wonderful presentations from EarthSave International's Caryn Hartglass, Nathan Runkle from Mercy for Animals, author and activist Dr. Will Tuttle, Dr. Michael Greger from the Humane Society, and Rae Sikora and JC Corcoran from Plant Peace Daily. I was working the mainstage all day, so I didn't get to catch much of the activity upstairs, but I've heard only great things about it. One man who followed family members into Dr. Tuttle's speech before planning to get a Salisbury steak from one of his favorite restaurants in the neighborhood, found himself suddenly ready to convert to a vegan diet.<br /><br />All in all, it was an amazing, uplifting, and incredible day. There will be a lot more stories and photos to come as we all process the information from the day. In the meantime, we'd love to hear your reactions. Please feel free to comment about your impressions of the event.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcD_XKRXlooSqTQPK7MTKhGP8iPq8Qjh2A18rFeLncB7D27c7Ar_AHQFWTNRPyUUkafiQIu5PtGGk_L0dmGpHKheptjqIgk1jp49l5WiCxjmb7TZlFCBSkHGhW0rBBkcW85LbDMZGLqn1d/s1600-h/circularconv-mural-sm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 288px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcD_XKRXlooSqTQPK7MTKhGP8iPq8Qjh2A18rFeLncB7D27c7Ar_AHQFWTNRPyUUkafiQIu5PtGGk_L0dmGpHKheptjqIgk1jp49l5WiCxjmb7TZlFCBSkHGhW0rBBkcW85LbDMZGLqn1d/s320/circularconv-mural-sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391405386497740018" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim2gNMBj7l52zUWIrlOTyqrwvRVVaxK_1B_AOOHdDgTdbMDujJ87E2HbdKo3KJAnyh0Hs6oFgX_oZ9wHvYf-CQ29PrjDHwX8NTAC9ECTQ13NSqdR5640lzQ_u5UAy1nEofj84s6Zvr941s/s1600-h/kazooboys-sm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 288px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim2gNMBj7l52zUWIrlOTyqrwvRVVaxK_1B_AOOHdDgTdbMDujJ87E2HbdKo3KJAnyh0Hs6oFgX_oZ9wHvYf-CQ29PrjDHwX8NTAC9ECTQ13NSqdR5640lzQ_u5UAy1nEofj84s6Zvr941s/s320/kazooboys-sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391405648814888770" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4N4G-aRJh2JLc9udwxRicqOipSRRVWhjmTZ_mFbF7QmMQBN03VusN8pIgo_VOkEg2ygSV44sqogWvZ0RCFbqHcWMk08yiE5lOWH5zW_jJPKzqibNhhq-QETgXrR-NnwayYUCDdf1IP072/s1600-h/balconykids-sm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 288px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4N4G-aRJh2JLc9udwxRicqOipSRRVWhjmTZ_mFbF7QmMQBN03VusN8pIgo_VOkEg2ygSV44sqogWvZ0RCFbqHcWMk08yiE5lOWH5zW_jJPKzqibNhhq-QETgXrR-NnwayYUCDdf1IP072/s320/balconykids-sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391405992667147058" border="0" /></a>VeganManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10488182632304575272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-795755012482944077.post-88588623652843878012009-10-09T00:07:00.000-07:002009-10-09T00:34:08.704-07:00Same dancers, different name<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEije6YZN6P3uO2hDn1lV3qLCqb05vfZnB2cf7LG5qr6Mq7Gp9OrR-uF-ajrlqMoFgk_bcxyVERUVqGet6ejhVCQMIFhAFutp6Y8adE9yrSg9rqNDeUpXtU46dVUvOIwFhZuN-wSJaI1Xbe0/s1600-h/act-spunn2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEije6YZN6P3uO2hDn1lV3qLCqb05vfZnB2cf7LG5qr6Mq7Gp9OrR-uF-ajrlqMoFgk_bcxyVERUVqGet6ejhVCQMIFhAFutp6Y8adE9yrSg9rqNDeUpXtU46dVUvOIwFhZuN-wSJaI1Xbe0/s320/act-spunn2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390499818083784114" border="0" /></a><br />Chicago is far too vast and diverse of a place for even the most culturally aware among us to keep up with all the exciting changes that happen all around us. We have been informed that SPUNN, the dance troupe we had scheduled to perform at 2:30 pm, has dissolved. Not to worry, though. Key members of the troupe, including the exact ones we had scheduled to dance at Chicago VeganMania, have regrouped into an even more dynamic ensemble called <a href="http://www.pyrotechniq.org/">Pyrotechniq</a>. So now, <span style="font-style: italic;">Pyrotechniq</span> is performing at 2:45.<br /><br />Pyrotechniq is one of the country's premier fire-dancing troupes. And while the Chicago Park District won't let us use real fire in this elegant old building (and once you see the gorgeous space, you won't be able to blame them for that), you will still witness a breathtaking display of dexterity and athleticism as the dancers perform with spinning poi, lighted hoops and other props. You won't want to miss it!VeganManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10488182632304575272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-795755012482944077.post-87040837820993044362009-10-08T08:03:00.000-07:002009-10-08T08:22:14.390-07:00It's almost time!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38Sg9Yb7OcbaCN8U5vdj6__dmu1W13Jyl3WYhe3k3KWVCAL-Fm7r9lRrIUAtn6-eavGDSKFty401Grm6XoJpeT2X1zbrG1gXkhuMzOIGAPylvMbarcn3CXZpkneNTYD1MAG6YXtUh5U6t/s1600-h/cloudgate-eggplant-s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 216px; height: 254px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38Sg9Yb7OcbaCN8U5vdj6__dmu1W13Jyl3WYhe3k3KWVCAL-Fm7r9lRrIUAtn6-eavGDSKFty401Grm6XoJpeT2X1zbrG1gXkhuMzOIGAPylvMbarcn3CXZpkneNTYD1MAG6YXtUh5U6t/s320/cloudgate-eggplant-s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390245610041362370" border="0" /></a>It's been a very crazy last few weeks. Sorry we haven't kept the blog updated, but there are a million details in putting together an event of this scope.<br /><br />And boy, what an event it has become! We have ten restaurants and food vendors, 46 other vendors, four wonderful live bands two dance groups, and three DJs, six nationally-recognized vegan speakers, an art gallery featuring the work of six great women artists, the Compassion Fashion Gallery featuring the latest in cruelty-free couture, a lively children's center, a Spectacle Parade, and so much more!<br /><br />Here is the schedule for the speakers:<br /><br />11:00 - <span style="font-weight: bold;">Caryn Hartglass</span> – EarthSave International<br />12:00 - <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nathan Runkle</span> – Mercy for Animals<br />1:00 - <span style="font-weight: bold;">Dr. Will Tuttle</span> – author of The World Peace Diet<br />2:00 - <span style="font-weight: bold;">Dr. Michael Greger</span> – Humane Society of the United States<br />3:10 - a workshop with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Rae Sikora</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">JC Corcoran</span> of Plant Peace Daily.<br /><br />Here is the schedule for entertainment:<br /><br />10:45 - <span style="font-weight: bold;">Circular Convention</span> – preteen product of Girl's Rock Chicago<br />11:30 - <span style="font-weight: bold;">Deserae</span> – cabaret style belly dance<br />12:15 - <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bryan Harrell</span> – acoustic folk music<br />1:15 - <span style="font-weight: bold;">dreamlogicc</span> – electronica<br />2:30 - <span style="font-weight: bold;">SPUNN</span> – high energy dance<br />3:15 - <span style="font-weight: bold;">Darmata </span>– funk rock<br /><br />At 3:45 pm, a <span style="font-weight: bold;">Spectacle Procession </span>featuring children with dancers, musicians and others will wind through the building<br /><br />In addition, <span style="font-weight: bold;">DJ veganinblack</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Peter Propaganda</span>, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Scarylady Sarah</span> will all be spinning 80s music and darkwave throughout the day in the Gallery Hall.<br /><br />The food vendors include these fine restaurants: The Chicago Diner, Cousin's Incredible Vitality, Delicious Café, The Great Taste Café, Soul Vegetarian, and Veggie Bite, and well as these great vegan food companies: Cru Cacao raw chocolates, Match Meats, Raw Creations, Ste Martaen cheeses, Vega/Sequel Naturals, and Upton's Naturals.<br /><br />Don't forget about the free swag bags for the first 100 people to come through the door.<br /><br />We'll see you there. This is going to be amazing!VeganManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10488182632304575272noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-795755012482944077.post-24033734369207968582009-09-15T21:28:00.000-07:002009-09-15T21:40:33.945-07:00Get Up Early for Some Free Swag!There are many great reasons to come to Chicago VeganMania, but here's a great reason to come <span style="font-style:italic;">early</span>. Our vegan elves have been collecting products from great vegan companies across the country, and assembling them into <span style="font-style:italic;">Free Vegan Swag Bags<span style="font-weight:bold;"></span></span> for the first 100 people (age 16 & older) to come through the door. This in addition to free admission, five free "Grub Stub" sample tickets, free music and entertainment, and so much much more. So set your alarm clock. Come early and stay all day. Years from now, you'll want to brag to your grandkids that you were at the very first Chicago VeganMania, so you need to hang around long enough to pick up some big memories.VeganManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10488182632304575272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-795755012482944077.post-47004786801331209602009-09-12T02:22:00.000-07:002009-09-13T07:52:29.005-07:00And Now, On the Main Stage...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzyfO6sbGgMnPk3StR9sCRugHusxN2hSEE45Mixqq8kt0nRu5Zef4yBIGrIzSo1fjAKDs_d7YM6Sv-WwbxoOaw0dnjJmXfR8jptXgOjYfuHic-mJqdB6t_BSItjAf8MqD0izvjuiQjh4lw/s1600-h/4acts.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 357px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzyfO6sbGgMnPk3StR9sCRugHusxN2hSEE45Mixqq8kt0nRu5Zef4yBIGrIzSo1fjAKDs_d7YM6Sv-WwbxoOaw0dnjJmXfR8jptXgOjYfuHic-mJqdB6t_BSItjAf8MqD0izvjuiQjh4lw/s400/4acts.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380823032034391250" /></a><br />Yes, we've mentioned in previous posts that one of the big rooms housing Chicago VeganMania has a gorgeous stage (it's a huge, handsome thing, surrounded by this stunning mural of allegorical figures in various stages of undress being observed by a pious monk that was painted in 1920 by a guy named James G. Gilbert). From the beginning, we decided that we needed to make good use of this thing. So we'll be setting up all the food vendors in the back half of the room, and putting tables and chairs closer to the stage, so people can hang out and catch some great entertainment. <br /><br />And we're really excited about the wonderful entertainment that will fill that stage. We're still working out deals with a couple of acts, but we're ready to announce several of them right now.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">dreamlogicc</span> is the nom de plume of the soulful synth artist, Justin James. dreamlogicc's earthy rhythms and ethereal melodies create a lush soundscape that will add an exclamation point to the already ebullient mood of Chicago VeganMania.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Bryan Harrell</span> is a highly gifted and compassionate singer/songwriter with a rich contemporary songbook that offers healthy respect for roots folk music.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Deserae</span> will transport you to another time and place with her beautifully nuanced and innovative style of modern Egyptian and Lebanese cabaret-style belly dance.<br /><br />and the dynamic funk/rock band <span style="font-weight:bold;">Darmata</span> will bring down the house with a powerful groove that blends a tight staccato rhythm section with rapid-fire vocals and some of the fattest, fuzziest guitar licks ever.<br /><br />Add ten restaurant stands full of great vegan food, and you might find it hard to ever leave this room. But there is so much more to see and do – incredible speakers, the latest in vegan fashion, a great juried art show, dozens of amazing vegan businesses, crafters, and non-profit groups, and so much more. Chicago VeganMania is definitely the event of the season, so don't miss out!VeganManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10488182632304575272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-795755012482944077.post-63499132678442587022009-09-07T07:59:00.000-07:002009-09-12T23:26:21.432-07:00Two More Great Speakers!While we are finalizing the entertainment on the main stage (we'll post about that as soon as we can – probably later this week), we are ready to announce that we have added two more amazing speakers to our already impressive lineup (see the post below about Nathan Runkle, Caryn Hartglass and Dr. Michael Greger). Rae Sikora and JC Corcoran are two much beloved and sought after speakers and pillars of the vegan community who have recently joined together to form a group and website called <a href="http://plantpeacedaily.org">Plant Peace Daily</a> (they've also recently joined together as life partners, so congratulate them when you see them). Here's a bit more about them.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQrz2l5yHCBMAiB250UgV6jf3KPyFYgONiTKXxdF01bO6nJRGIENH0ED-GKYTWO56gBlav5h2_znWPx5cIo5gfXvhJkoWlasC0CKLgZfqffYHJ-nTsqEdQQmfN4M13qvXeYjTqV9ES1vNx/s1600-h/Rae-Sikora.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 159px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQrz2l5yHCBMAiB250UgV6jf3KPyFYgONiTKXxdF01bO6nJRGIENH0ED-GKYTWO56gBlav5h2_znWPx5cIo5gfXvhJkoWlasC0CKLgZfqffYHJ-nTsqEdQQmfN4M13qvXeYjTqV9ES1vNx/s200/Rae-Sikora.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378740490486248322" /></a> Rae Sikora has been an activist for more than 25 years and has been teaching people to hone their critical thinking tools to help create a better planet. She cofounded of the Center for Compassionate Living and The International Institute for Humane Education, where she inspired and taught many people who have gone on to become some of the most powerful voices for compassionate change. I first met her there, way back in 1997, when Marla and I spent several days taking an incredible workshop with her and her then partner Zoe Weil. She has been one of my key inspirations and mentors ever since.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJF070oPJMOs_BRBiSeUjmBtLJNuz2PaqRVgxHy_e7ASIGp6GI1y3ot_bULN7QsF7Uq_jCZQ2Dv3WSc7oS_hodhXXC6aoPhrMPMgxBzg00c3td8F9_0_EaiOhuWbRdTgPPjCihc9wyAes8/s1600-h/JC-Corcoran1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 158px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJF070oPJMOs_BRBiSeUjmBtLJNuz2PaqRVgxHy_e7ASIGp6GI1y3ot_bULN7QsF7Uq_jCZQ2Dv3WSc7oS_hodhXXC6aoPhrMPMgxBzg00c3td8F9_0_EaiOhuWbRdTgPPjCihc9wyAes8/s200/JC-Corcoran1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378740500737979138" /></a> One of our other inspirations when we started building EarthSave Chicago was JC Corcoran, who at the time was running one of the country's best regional veg groups, <a href="http://vegmichigan.org">VegMichigan</a>. JC introduced himself to me about ten years ago when he told me how much he liked a Vegan graphic I'd done for the design of a Frisbee. Then he rolled up his sleeve to show the same design tattooed on his arm. JC has inspired thousands of people with his lectures and workshops on the power of plant foods.<br /><br />Together, Rae and JC are practically an institution, and they're traveling the country spreading a message of peace, compassion and sustainability. We're excited to have them an Chicago VeganMania, and we know you'll come away from their presentations inspired and energized.VeganManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10488182632304575272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-795755012482944077.post-81723527775804315942009-08-30T20:07:00.001-07:002009-08-30T20:40:08.150-07:00Going Grape at Critical Mass<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWEnbZ2idGdzu4P-5xO2BEYUeiN38Ai27dVoOyHkqzz7kxd-hwTuRknSIWbvY1rT5XbZIHkoQReHJKL5oxwsHKZMiLiQcCtW73FAECi9ohdF_38yrZtU1tq3AIUmZwYYB4PJvBkTgFxH8S/s1600-h/johnasgrapes.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWEnbZ2idGdzu4P-5xO2BEYUeiN38Ai27dVoOyHkqzz7kxd-hwTuRknSIWbvY1rT5XbZIHkoQReHJKL5oxwsHKZMiLiQcCtW73FAECi9ohdF_38yrZtU1tq3AIUmZwYYB4PJvBkTgFxH8S/s320/johnasgrapes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375959464440704722" /></a> So I am so into promoting Chicago VeganMania, that I'll go to extremes to make sure everyone knows about it. So I went right into the center of Chicago's street activist scene, <a href="http://chicagocriticalmass.org/">Chicago Critical Mass</a>.<br /><br />If you're not familiar with Critical Mass, at evening rush hour on the last Friday of the month, hundreds (or in Chicago's case thousands) of cyclists take to the streets in a giant mass starting from a place where they can disrupt the greatest amount of automobile traffic (in Chicago's case, Daley Plaza). It's one part eco-revolution, one part consciousness raising, and about four parts party on wheels. The crowd are the exact kind of free thinking active colorful folks that we have designed Chicago VeganMania for. So in the place where the spirits of bicycle activism and vegan revolution merge, I decided to pedal downtown from Oak Park pulling a trailer carrying an oversized papier mache grapes costume, don said costume, and spread through the crowd to hand out flyers, before cruising with the mass of riders through the streets of Chicago wearing the same costume, which was neither easy nor remotely safe.<br /><br />Despite being called a Fruit of the Loom guy more often than a couple of times it went very well. I handed out more than a 150 postcards, and had dozens of dare I say "fruitful" conversations. Quite a few people were already aware of Chicago VeganMania, planning to attend, and truly excited about it. Many more were thrilled to hear about it, and wanting to know more. More than a dozen people identified themselves as vegan, including three angelic young women who gave me a delicious vegan chocolate chip cookie. All told, it was a great evening.<br /><br />Promotional season is starting to heat up even as summer is starting to cool down (not that it ever really got warm this year). Keep your eyes open, You never know where you'll see a veganmaniac next.VeganManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10488182632304575272noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-795755012482944077.post-44186665225869073862009-08-20T23:29:00.000-07:002009-08-27T00:07:54.865-07:00We're adding a room for speakers!Our core group has just decided to add yet another dimension to our event. A lot of people have been asking for a chance to catch a lecture or workshop while they're at Chicago VeganMania, so we're going to accommodate. We've lined up three excellent speakers: Nathan Runkle, the wünderkind executive director of Mercy for Animals, Caryn Hartglass, the executive director of EarthSave International and host of the internet TV show "Going Green with Caryn Hartglass", and Dr. Michael Greger, the renowned nutrition and food safety expert and Director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture at The Humane Society of the United States.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaDCm_EnM2U8FknATN6dsUXMV9xtXRiggLfmFE6XJUUlzZmvTa7kWASkpErObfpXcpOAg3yGFgsVNfq6OwfIK1WI2zoEtEgnWcnokVcRCldY6kIXS1Scr67qus_FyvuM3OT_lhsBoEmB_C/s1600-h/nathan.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 158px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaDCm_EnM2U8FknATN6dsUXMV9xtXRiggLfmFE6XJUUlzZmvTa7kWASkpErObfpXcpOAg3yGFgsVNfq6OwfIK1WI2zoEtEgnWcnokVcRCldY6kIXS1Scr67qus_FyvuM3OT_lhsBoEmB_C/s200/nathan.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374536715798290274" /></a><br />Nathan once witnessed an act of animal cruelty that compelled him to become an advocate for animals. Even though he was barely into his teens, he founded <a href="http://www/mercyforanimals.org">Mercy for Animals</a> in his native Ohio. Since then, Mercy for Animals has grown into one of the most important voices for farm animals in the country. Nathan has lead numerous undercover investigations of factory egg farms, and has masterfully overseen the creation of an innovative and hard-hitting media machine that has changed the lives of thousands of people. I remember first meeting him years ago at an animal rights conference in DC, and was immediately struck by the amazing amount of confidence, will and compassion packed into this skinny teenager. It exciting to see how far he has come. <a href="http://www.mercyforanimals.org/bio-nathan-runkle.asp">Here's a bio</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFXBnJ_C0qnf0ArCPazBVJbYYtVJ6EK68ZTrGxk9RBa8SuQ2To0c2EfCgTZ40tVBtkiJbO1R4cbfG7Xwhcl1s5AAZXDwb74K3Sp-_7jEpo3H-2YJEWEHG8g8cW3wreKcmsPo3O9JRiUCDN/s1600-h/caryn.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 158px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFXBnJ_C0qnf0ArCPazBVJbYYtVJ6EK68ZTrGxk9RBa8SuQ2To0c2EfCgTZ40tVBtkiJbO1R4cbfG7Xwhcl1s5AAZXDwb74K3Sp-_7jEpo3H-2YJEWEHG8g8cW3wreKcmsPo3O9JRiUCDN/s200/caryn.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374536569970246914" /></a>A native New Yorker, Caryn became a vegetarian at age 15, and eventually became involved in EarthSave International's New York chapter. Her relentless energy and dynamic personality lead her to the top spot at EarthSave International. In 2006, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, a disease she has conquered through her healthy vegan diet and lifestyle, and a lot of help from Evanston's famed Block Cancer Center. Caryn is also a gifted singer of both operatic and popular music, and she has combined all of her talents, passion and energy to create <a href="http://www.earthsavetv.com">EarthSave TV</a>, and its signature show, "Going Green with Caryn Hartglass", a lively mix of interviews, cooking lessons, travelogues, and wisdom about living a healthy and sustainable life. Caryn has also been great source of support to us as we're putting together this event. Here's the site for <a href="http://www.earthsave.org">EarthSave International</a> as well as <a href="http://carynhartglass.com">Caryn's own website</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpNYbHYJ0niM1zLThJ6pnQyC9o_urWlrJTaKiQYGLo9zwsUzXP8H65Q4Js6Jx-SwLg90Ga0hWHT6prZ60jgRv6_UFs8qnLMVsJSUkqdv-bftFM3lhwNca5lPywHh2EqeN3Ks2wSj-0vwam/s1600-h/greger.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 157px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpNYbHYJ0niM1zLThJ6pnQyC9o_urWlrJTaKiQYGLo9zwsUzXP8H65Q4Js6Jx-SwLg90Ga0hWHT6prZ60jgRv6_UFs8qnLMVsJSUkqdv-bftFM3lhwNca5lPywHh2EqeN3Ks2wSj-0vwam/s200/greger.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374536238892699794" /></a>Michael is a founding member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, as well as a physician, author, and internationally recognized speaker on nutrition, food safety, and public health issues. He's also one of the most dynamic speakers I have ever seen. His presentations are memorable and often mindblowing events. Here's what he says about the presentation he'll be giving for us. It's called The Latest in Human Nutrition 2009:<br /><br />"Dr. Greger has scoured the world's scholarly literature on clinical nutrition and developed this brand-new talk of the latest in cutting-edge research. Focusing on studies published just over the last year in peer-reviewed scientific nutrition journals, Dr. Greger offers practical advice on how best to feed ourselves and our families to prevent, treat, and even reverse chronic disease In an engaging interactive quiz show format."<br /><br />Here's his <a href="http://www.veganmd.com">website</a> and <a href="http://www.drgreger.org/bio.html">bio</a>.<br /><br />So now you have three more really great reasons to come to Chicago VeganMania. We'll keep posting more in the coming days and weeks.VeganManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10488182632304575272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-795755012482944077.post-22464557790260461852009-08-16T06:02:00.000-07:002009-08-16T10:26:51.194-07:00A "Sample" of What You'll Taste at Chicago VeganMania<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc3yPrwuQeoYW7XMHlpdnki4O5pptUe8zfae6NaBOIl5qOWEKZ5H-i2qNk-_d88VYjw0SfQVW5vRqfRWkBCECjoalw6WsXwdmf7L0PHz0aiWR8ObByNCV1vIINkuiAcO71wJYtY0-08dC-/s1600-h/14-muffins.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 283px; height: 245px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc3yPrwuQeoYW7XMHlpdnki4O5pptUe8zfae6NaBOIl5qOWEKZ5H-i2qNk-_d88VYjw0SfQVW5vRqfRWkBCECjoalw6WsXwdmf7L0PHz0aiWR8ObByNCV1vIINkuiAcO71wJYtY0-08dC-/s320/14-muffins.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370613594256191618" /></a><br />One of the key goals of Chicago VeganMania has been to give visitors the opportunity to savor all the wonderful vegan foods we can find in this great city. But how does one do that? After all, we'll only be there for six hours, and there's only so much food one can comfortably eat in that amount of time.<br /><br />Well, after a lot of brainstorming and discussion, we feel we've arrived at a pretty good way to let you try out a lot of different foods. Here's how it works:<br /><br />There will be a big room full of stands from some of Chicago's best vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants, and well as companies with prepared foods made from their vegan products. Everything will be available in sample sizes, and some places (maybe even all of them) will offer larger meals as well. When you arrive (oh, did we mention that admission is free?), you will be given five tickets, each good for one of the sample-sized foods. If you decide you want to keep sampling or eating after that (and we bet you will!), you can purchase additional tickets for 50¢ each. Larger items will be available for multiple tickets. <br /><br />We're building a great list of restaurants and food purveyors who will be there, and we'll share that as soon as we've nailed it down a bit better.<br /><br />Besides all the great food, there will be a lot of other great vegan merchants, as well as a vegan art show, the latest in vegan fashion, an exhibit of Chicago's vegetarian history, music and live entertainment, children's activities (including a children's spectacle parade), and much, much more.<br /><br />Stay tuned for updates...VeganManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10488182632304575272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-795755012482944077.post-77808545012617801852009-08-09T22:05:00.000-07:002009-08-09T22:25:00.640-07:00Feeling the love at Veggie FestI'm just settling down after a big weekend in the sun at Veggie Fest in Naperville. What an event! They were predicting that as many as 20,000 people would brave the hot sun and crazy distance to Naperville, and I wouldn't be the least surprised to hear that they met that target. <br /><br />We had a great booth space surrounded by friends (Vegetarian Resource Group on one side with Mercy for Animals just past them, and our old pal Bob from The Book Publishing company from The Farm on the other side), and we had a nearly steady stream of traffic all day both days. <br /><br />We signed up 180 on our mailing list and handed out ten times that many postcards. It was so much fun to pitch the event! People's eyes would light up and their mouths would grow into big smiles when they heard what we're doing. People promised to go out and spread the word through their social networks, and several people mentioned they've already been picking up a lot of buzz about it in cyberspace. We also signed up a bunch of merchant and nonprofit vendors, and we nailed down a bunch of event details which I'll write out in a future post after I've gotten a bit of sleep. <br /><br />Final word for now, though, is that Veggie Fest was awesome and that Chicago VeganMania will be even more awesome yet!VeganManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10488182632304575272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-795755012482944077.post-33634299680742328442009-08-04T00:59:00.000-07:002009-08-04T01:21:26.156-07:00Meet some VeganManiacs at Veggie Fest<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5M7J49RlhrBxl0VHRcUssgaD9BlkuTanMcLzYKvrU8qoHzFjAfr1GXVdo4TdpMN4-O-lb4xMZX3NdVElgb75mzk1J9NA7gvlPMIEPm0Mo_pf5JZdeVFPE9uS8UJN1BBazT_9tReB0fS3/s1600-h/veggiefest1.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5M7J49RlhrBxl0VHRcUssgaD9BlkuTanMcLzYKvrU8qoHzFjAfr1GXVdo4TdpMN4-O-lb4xMZX3NdVElgb75mzk1J9NA7gvlPMIEPm0Mo_pf5JZdeVFPE9uS8UJN1BBazT_9tReB0fS3/s320/veggiefest1.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366020758831093890" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.veggiefestchicagoland.org/">Veggie Fest</a> is the biggest and perhaps the best vegan event happening in the Chicago area this summer. Even though it's not entirely vegan and it's way out in Naperville, it's definitely worth the effort to get there. Veggie Fest is spread out over a big park, and they're expecting about 20,000 people. They'll have live music, lots of fun activities, workshops, and a total of about 100 vendors, including, of course, us. We'll be there, showing off Chicago VeganMania, and giving everyone a little preview of the most exciting vegan party Chicago will have ever seen. Stop by, gwt some great food, and soak up some great veggie vibes. It's supposed to be a beautiful weekend.VeganManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10488182632304575272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-795755012482944077.post-53306239295525538692009-06-30T10:00:00.000-07:002009-06-30T10:11:34.421-07:00Chicago VeganMania Shows Its Pride!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi22dvFqCJLoKZlFaYtENiFan9TulrK4ssmEQLi70QeSJOoL2-y2yjAIQhiYPmlA4grshDsgOeavlGqqsey4oXpNpRdfdkRBgPxDsBE0KKDzML68DcrUNdLK2iXi6FEddbZm4UeDpVDemfh/s1600-h/09Pride-blog.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi22dvFqCJLoKZlFaYtENiFan9TulrK4ssmEQLi70QeSJOoL2-y2yjAIQhiYPmlA4grshDsgOeavlGqqsey4oXpNpRdfdkRBgPxDsBE0KKDzML68DcrUNdLK2iXi6FEddbZm4UeDpVDemfh/s320/09Pride-blog.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353169440463086962" /></a><br />This past Sunday, we sent a small but enthusiastically received contingent of VeganManiacs to the Chicago Pride Parade. It was a gorgeous day, a huge crowd, and a bunch of fun. We had five costumed characters including myself as a giant asparagus (it doesn't really show up in the photo, but it was more than 10 feet tall), as well as a giant cherry, a giant broccoli, a giant bunch of grapes, and young Justice as a space alien in his CVM flying saucer. Justice, in particular, was really a hit. He waved like a celebrity, spun little spaceship circles and zig-zags all over, and had his image captured on at least a thousand different cameras. Us veg-heads were a hit as well. I high-fived hundreds of asparagus loving fans and posed in dozens of pictures. I felt like a rock star. We handed out all 2,500 postcards we brought in the first four blocks, and could have easily handed out four times more. Many in the crowd were very excited to hear about the event, and everyone wanted more info. The whole parade was a big lovefest (well, for some people it was probably more of a big humpfest, but our group and most people we encountered along the way kept it pretty clean).<br /><br />Big thanks to Heather and everyone at Mercy for Animals for letting us march with them.<br /><br />Watch for our veg-heads as we pop up around town throughout the summer. We are also building the event right now, and we have a lot of fascinating and exciting people and groups who are signing on to be a part of it. This will truly be the biggest and coolest vegan party Chicago has ever seen.VeganManiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10488182632304575272noreply@blogger.com0