Vegan Action
Helene Greenberg
Founder and Executive Director of VegFest Expos
by Amy Burger
Vegan food is "the gateway drug to veganism," says Helene Greenberg, Founder and Executive Director of VegFest Expos. Greenberg organized her first VegFest in October 2014. That Raleigh, North Carolina, event, which was planned in four months, was attended by close to 2,000 people.
Since the inaugural Triangle VegFest 2014, Greenberg's work has expanded to five states throughout the Southeast, and along with her team, her non-profit organization, VegFest Expos, plans and facilitates ten festivals each year. Greenberg personally attends each festival, saying "I wouldn't have it any other way."
The festivals are mostly held during the warmer months, meaning Greenberg stays extra busy with events from May through October. The rest of the year, she evaluates the success of each event and plans for the following year. This work can feel hectic at times, but Greenberg says, "The stories about someone choosing to go vegan or make healthy changes because they attended our festivals is the type of reward that helps us to push through the harder, more difficult times."
While Greenberg has experienced several obstacles, the most difficult challenge happened in 2022. "We had to move Asheville, North Carolina, our largest festival, because of Hurricane Ian to the same weekend as Chattanooga, Tennessee. We did two festivals, in two states, 3 1/2 hours apart in one weekend. It was the most stressful month of my life."
In the nine years since her first VegFest, Greenberg says the work is ultimately fulfilling: "This is my activism. We get to reach tens of thousands of people and help them learn about why veganism is incredibly important\u2026 We have the best VegFest team, whom I couldn't do this without, along with all the volunteers who sign up to help and then show up and do an incredible job."
Greenberg encourages prospective sponsors, vendors, and volunteers to visit VegFest Expos' website, vegfestexpos.com, to learn more about opportunities for involvement. Details about upcoming events are listed there for attendees as well.
For more updates, check out the VegFest Expos social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and consider attending one or more of their events. See:
Website: www.vegfestexpos.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/VegFestExpos
Instagram: www.instagram.com/vegfestexpos
