First Veggie Pride Parade in America, Greenwich Village, New York City, May 18, 2008

The First Veggie Pride Parade in America will take place in Greenwich Village,
New York City, on May 18, 2008. The procession will begin at 12 Noon in the Old Meat District (where 9th Ave., Gansevoort St., Greenwich St., and Little West 12th St. intersect). It will culminate in Washington Square Park (Eastern end), where a festival of rock music, speakers and exhibitors will take place.

Parade participants are encouraged to dress up in costumes and to wear sign boards announcing their pride in their vegetarian lifestyle. Local restaurants will represent themselves with banners. They may be animal-rights activists, environmentalists, or just concerned with their health. But on May 18, 2008, all will come together with one voice, one expression, of veggie pride.

At 2 p.m. on stage at the post-parade rally in Washington Square Park, the winners of a costume and poster-slogan contest in various categories will be announced.

At 4 p.m., also on stage, a 7-foot-tall human pea pod, Penelo Pea Pod (long-time mascot of parade sponsor VivaVegie Society) will be married in an open wedding ceremony. The lucky guy (ur, animal? vegetable?) has yet to be identified...or to come forth. More to come on that soon!

There is a special page within the Veggie Pride Parade Web site outlining how restaurants can get involved, and how both individuals and businesses can place a sponsorship ad in the official program/ad booklet. Contingents from all walks of life are encouraged to get involved.

The parade is fashioned after and will take place the same weekend as the Veggie Pride Parade in Paris. The Parisian parade was the first of its kind ever to take place in the world and has been going on annually since 2001.

Visit http://www.veggieprideparade.org/ for more information about volunteering and sponsorship.