Category Archives: Rochester NY VegFest

Rissa The Righter at Rochester VegFest 2025

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“Revealing Inner Greatness to Empower Rightness”

Rissa the Righter is a multi-talented musician, songwriter, and performer dedicated to creating music with purpose. With a background in orchestra and experience playing multiple instruments, Rissa writes and performs all her own music—blending artistry with authenticity. She has shared the stage with artists such as LaRussell and AJ McQueen, captivating audiences with her powerful presence and meaningful lyrics.

A year and a half ago, Rissa chose to give up eating meat, aligning her lifestyle with her mission: The Righter Way—a movement centered on embracing our greatness, empowering righteousness, and living authentically without harming ourselves, others, or the world around us.

Catch Rissa The Righter Live at Rochester VegFest 2025

🕚 1:00 PM–1:45 PM
📍Speaker Tent, Parcel 5 – Downtown Rochester

Explore Rissa’s work:

VegFest 2025 T-Shirts

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Sorry, pre-ordering is now closed.

Please swing by the VegFest tent on August 24th to buy from available stock there!

We’re thrilled to team up once again with local artist Julia Jones of Nearby Design for this year’s VegFest shirt. The adorable design features our pig mascot celebrating this year’s theme: “Compassion in Action”.

  • Color: Carolina Blue
  • Styles: Relaxed, Fitted
  • Price: $20 each

Volunteers receive one free! All shirts will be available for pickup at the VegFest booth on festival day. A limited number will also be available for purchase at the event — but pre-ordering is the only way to guarantee your size.

Relaxed
Fitted

Ali Lawrence at Rochester VegFest 2025

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Founder of Spirit & Abundance

Ali Lawrence, Spirit & Abundance

Ali is the founder of Spirit & Abundance, a small business crafting plant based cheese and ferments in the city of Rochester. A graduate from the Culinary Institute of America and Cornell University with over 15 years of experience in the kitchen, Ali is dedicated to sharing how to cook living, plant based food along with cultured and fermented creations.

For more information, visit Ali’s website.

Catch Ali Lawrence at Rochester VegFest 2025

🎤 3:30–4:30 PM – Rochester Vegan Entrepreneurs Panel
📍 Speaker Tent, Parcel 5 – Downtown Rochester

ROB.DOE & DJ IMPOZIBLE at Rochester VegFest 2025

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Hip-Hop Artist & Affirmation Music Creator

ROB.DOE is a Rochester-based musical artist known for blending raw lyricism with uplifting, affirmational themes. Describing himself as the “ULTIMATE LIFE FORM,” he uses his music to spread positivity, empowerment, and healing through high-vibration sound.

His discography includes tracks like “Life Cost,” “TRUE STORY” featuring Kito Dash, and “BETTER DAYS” featuring Kj Sausin. His song “Prevail Over Pain” exemplifies his commitment to affirmation music, aiming to inspire listeners to overcome challenges.

Active on all platforms, ROB.DOE engages with his audience through both music and social media. On TikTok, he shares content that resonates with his themes of positivity and resilience.

Catch ROB.DOE & DJ IMPOZIBLE at Rochester VegFest 2025

🕐 2:40–3:25 PM
📍 Main Stage at Parcel 5 – Downtown Rochester

Explore ROB.DOE’s music and content:

Sage Bava at Rochester VegFest 2025

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Artist, Activist & “Bad Ass Vegan Advocate”

Sage Bava is a genre-defying musician, writer, and activist whose work blends soulful jazz, R&B, and poetic storytelling with a deep commitment to animal rights and environmental justice. Raised on an animal rescue and nature preserve in upstate New York, she adopted the moniker BAVA—an acronym for “Bad Ass Vegan Advocate”—to honor her roots and amplify her mission to speak for the voiceless.

A multi-instrumentalist and composer, Sage’s debut album In Whose Eyes was co-produced with four-time Grammy winner Larry Klein and features acclaimed artists including Christian McBride and Braxton Cook. The album, which weaves together jazz, R&B, and singer-songwriter elements, explores the question: “In whose eyes do we uncover ourselves?” Both the opening and closing tracks serve as environmental anthems, reconnecting listeners with their primal bond to the natural world.

Sage’s journey has taken her across the globe—from acting in London to traveling solo through Europe with nothing but a backpack and guitar. She holds a master’s degree in production from Berklee and is currently studying the psychology of spirituality at Columbia University. Her writing has been featured in Forbes, The Times Center, and TEDx, and she co-hosts the iHeart podcast In Service Of.

Catch Sage Bava Live at Rochester VegFest 2025

🕚 11:20 AM–12:05 PM
📍Speaker Tent, Parcel 5 – Downtown Rochester

Experience a soulful set from one of today’s most thoughtful and justice-driven musical voices.

Explore Sage’s work:

Free Yoga with Niki Januzzi at Rochester VegFest 2025

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Start Your Day with Movement, Breath & Intention

We’re kicking off VegFest 2025 with a free, all-levels yoga session led by local instructor Niki Januzzi of Yoga Love of Honeoye Falls.

Niki’s journey to yoga began with her background in dance, which naturally drew her to the practice’s flow and movement. After first exploring yoga in 2001, she deepened her practice in 2006 while navigating health challenges, experiencing firsthand the benefits for both body and mind. In 2010, she completed her Vinyasa teacher training at Sonic Yoga in Manhattan and has been sharing her love of yoga with the Honeoye Falls community ever since.

Her classes blend graceful movement with mindful alignment, offering an inviting space to reconnect, restore, and start the day feeling balanced and energized.

Yoga Session Details

🕙 10:00–10:45 AM
📍 Yoga Tent at Parcel 5 – Downtown Rochester (Exact location will be marked at the event)
🧘 Open to all levels of practice
🧺 BYOM – Bring Your Own Mat (Mats will not be provided)

To learn more about Niki and her classes, visit Yoga Love of Honeoye Falls.

Rochester Vegan Entrepreneurs Panel at VegFest 2025

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A Conversation on Community, Creativity, and Plant-Based Business

As part of this year’s “Compassion in Action: Eat Plants! Save the Planet!” theme, we’re proud to feature the Rochester Vegan Entrepreneurs Panel—a conversation with local founders who are building businesses rooted in ethics, sustainability, and bold creativity.

These inspiring entrepreneurs are proof that plant-based innovation can drive not only delicious food but meaningful change. From reimagined comfort foods to guilt-free indulgences and small-batch vegan cheese and ferments, each panelist brings a unique voice to the growing movement for conscious business and compassionate living.

The panel will feature:

Natasha Siplin

Founder of Soulistic Sweets, a beloved vegan bakery offering cruelty-free desserts made with love from the soul.

Rob Nipe

Co-Founder & Vegan Butcher at Grass Fed, Rochester’s neighborhood vegan butcher shop and deli.

Kaptah Xi-Amaru

Owner of B+Healthy Fresh Food Market, a family-friendly spot for smoothies, juices, wraps, and salads, with vegan options.

Ali Lawrence

Founder of Spirit & Abundance, with over 15 years experience crafting plant based cheese and ferments in the city of Rochester.

Moderator, Dan Schrack

Morning anchor at 13WHAM News and committed vegan with a passion for storytelling and community engagement.

Panel Details

🕞 3:30–4:30 PM
📍 Speaker Tent at Parcel 5 – Downtown Rochester

Come hear what drives these entrepreneurs, what they’ve learned along the way, and how they’re using their platforms to make plant-based living more accessible, joyful, and impactful.

Kaptah Xi-Amaru at Rochester VegFest 2025

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Owner of B+Healthy Fresh Food Market

Kaptah Xi-Amaru, B+Healthy Fresh Food Market

Minister Kaptah Xi-Amaru is the visionary founder of B+Healthy Fresh Food Market, a thriving vegan juice bar and community health food store that has served the Rochester area for over 8 years. With three locations, his mission is to make plant-based nutrition and holistic wellness accessible to underserved communities. Minister Kaptah’s impactful work has earned numerous accolades and his leadership continues to inspire a movement toward healthier, more conscious living in Rochester and beyond.

For more information, visit Kaptah’s Facebook page.

Catch Kaptah Xi-Amaru at Rochester VegFest 2025

🎤 3:30–4:30 PM – Rochester Vegan Entrepreneurs Panel
📍 Speaker Tent, Parcel 5 – Downtown Rochester

Rob Nipe at Rochester VegFest 2025

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Co-Founder & Vegan Butcher at Grass Fed

Rob Nipe, Grass Fed Vegan Butcher

Rob Nipe is the co-founder and head vegan butcher at Grass Fed, a vegan butcher shop and deli located in Rochester, New York. Originally from New Jersey, Rob transitioned from his previous role as an analyst at the American Red Cross to pursue his passion for creating plant-based alternatives to traditional meats.

His culinary journey began with experimenting to replicate the flavors of his favorite comfort foods—like Philly cheesesteaks and breakfast sandwiches—which led to the development of a diverse range of vegan meats, including pastrami, bacon, and brisket.

Together with his wife, Nora Rubel—a Jewish studies professor at the University of Rochester—Rob established Grass Fed to offer delicious, cruelty-free versions of classic deli favorites. Their commitment to quality and authenticity has made Grass Fed a staple in Rochester’s culinary scene, appealing to both vegan and non-vegan customers alike.

Catch Rob Nipe at Rochester VegFest 2025

🎤 3:30–4:30 PM – Rochester Vegan Entrepreneurs Panel
📍 Speaker Tent, Parcel 5 – Downtown Rochester

For more information and to explore the menu, visit grassfedrochester.com, or follow @grass_fed_rochester on Instagram and Grass Fed on Facebook.