LIVE Broadcast from Bluegrass VegFest | July 9, 2022

Forward Radio was proud to participate in and live-broadcast from the 2022 Bluegrass VegFest at the Melwood Art Center on Saturday, July 9th from 11am-6pm. The VegFest is a Louisville-based vegan food festival showcasing regional businesses and products, with over 50 exhibitors. Not just a cornucopia of delicious plant-based food, it also featured craft beer and summer cocktails, nationally renowned speakers, arts and crafts, kid’s activities, and much more. The festival attracted thousands of attendees who are passionate about food, health, animals, the planet, and socially/eco-conscious companies. It featured regional restaurants, fabulous food trucks, beverages, and expert chefs demonstrating how to prepare your own delish vegan dishes. Learn more at https://www.bluegrassvegfest.com

The broadcast included interviews with many vendors and participants and we brought you live coverage from the speakers room, including:

Dawn Hilton-Williams: Krabby Cakes Cooking Demo & Tasting
Dawn Hilton-Williams, aka The Vegucator, is author of “Flava My Plate: Your Tasty Vegan Guide to Health-Wealth," Founder of Herban Eats, and a food justice advocate. She’s been a vegan chef for more than two decades. Recently awarded a $10,000 grant from Beyoncé’s beyGOOD foundation, Dawn is also dedicated to the mitigation of food-apartheid communities where chronic disease risk factors disproportionately impact communities of color.

Gene Baur: ”Vegan for Animals, People and the Planet”
Gene Baur is Co-Founder and President of Farm Sanctuary, and has been hailed as “the conscience of the food movement” by TIME magazine. He was a pioneer in undercover investigations and instrumental in passing the first U.S. laws to ban inhumane factory farming practices. Since 1986, he has traveled extensively, campaigning to raise awareness about the abuses of animal agriculture and our cheap food system. Gene has published two bestsellers, Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food (Simon and Schuster, 2008) and Living the Farm Sanctuary Life (Rodale, 2015), which he co-authored with Forks Over Knives author Gene Stone.

John Lewis: “Vegans Aren’t Filling Up Hospitals”
John Lewis, aka Bad Ass Vegan, is a filmmaker & prominent wellness advocate promoting compassion. His soon-to-be-released documentary They’re Trying to Kill Us explores the connection between veganism, food justice, and hip-hop culture. John has appeared in multiple television shows and fitness magazines such as Muscle & Fitness and Men’s Fitness, as well as Maxim and Sports Illustrated.

Toni Okamoto: “How to Eat Plant Based on a Budget” (in a ‘fireside chat’ with Gene Baur)
Toni Okamoto is a bestselling author and the founder of Plant-Based on a Budget, the popular website and meal plan that shows you how to save money by eating vegan. She’s been profiled by NBC News, Parade Magazine, and she’s a regular presence on local and national morning shows across the country.

Dr. Milton Mills: “The Many Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet”
Dr. Milton Mills is a physician and veteran speaker who was the featured physician in Netflix’s hit documentary What The Health. He practices urgent care medicine in the Washington DC area and has served as Associate Director of Preventive Medicine. He’s currently a member of the National Advisory Board for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). Dr.Mills’ talks are renowned for being accessible, highly informative, laced with humor and thought-provoking ideas.