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:

Rob Nipe & Anthony Miller on ARC Rochester

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Two of our highly-anticipated vendors — Grass Fed Vegan Butcher and The Veg-E-Table — recently sat down with Dan Schrack and Abby Fridmann of 13WHAM News to share their stories, and what they’ll be bringing to this year’s festival.

Rob Nipe

Grass Fed Vegan Butcher

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Rob owns Grass Fed Vegan Butcher, a brick-and-mortar spot on Monroe Ave serving up mouthwatering seitan sandwiches. On August 24th, you can find him at his booth — the perfect place to grab lunch while soaking in the festival fun.

Rob will also be joining our Rochester Vegan Entrepreneurs Panel moderated by 13WHAM’s Dan Schrack to close out the day. This inspiring conversation will explore how local business owners are putting their values into action to create change for people, animals, and the planet.


▶ Watch Rob on 13WHAM → VegFest Guest Talks Being a Vegan Butcher

Chef Anthony Miller

The Veg-E-Table

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Chef Anthony runs The Veg-E-Table, a local catering and meal delivery service offering bold, flavorful vegan dishes. Customers rave about his signature Rasta Pasta and other big hits, which can be ordered directly through Instagram or Facebook.

This year at VegFest, you’ll be able to enjoy some of those fan-favorite dishes right from his booth.

Want to learn how to recreate some of Chef Anthony’s magic at home? Don’t miss his food demo at 2:40 PM, where he’ll be making crispy black bean tacos.


▶ Watch Anthony on 13WHAM → The Veg-E-Table Heads to Rochester VegFest

Huge thanks to Anthony, Rob, Dan, and Abby for helping us spread the word about this year’s event. We can’t wait to see you Sunday, August 24th at Parcel 5!

August 2025 is Plant-Forward for the Planet Month in Rochester!

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We’re thrilled to share that, for the second year in a row, the City of Rochester—and now Monroe County—are officially proclaiming August 2025 as Plant-Forward for the Planet Month!

This proclamation, led by Black, Brown, and Diverse Plant-Based People for Equity Inc. (BBDPPE) in cooperation with Rochester VegFest, highlights the many ways plant-based living benefits both our health and our planet.

Celebrate All Month Long

The proclamation sets the stage for Plant-Powered Weekend, August 23–24, featuring:

  • 2nd Annual Plant-Forward Achievement Awards & Anniversary Gala – August 23 at the RIT Inn & Conference Center, honoring changemakers in plant-based advocacy.
  • Rochester VegFest – August 24 at Parcel 5, a free outdoor festival with 60+ vendors, live music, yoga, cooking demos, and nationally recognized speakers.

Join the Movement

Tag us at @bbdppe_inc and @rocvegfest and show us how you’re celebrating Plant-Forward for the Planet Month—from trying local plant-based offerings to joining us at the events!

Follow along on Instagram and Facebook to see how we’ll be celebrating all month long, and spread the word about why plant-forward living is better for your health and the planet.

Stay tuned for updates: rocvegfestny.org | equalvalueforall.wordpress.com

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

Dan Schrack to Moderate the 2025 Rochester Vegan Entreprenuers Panel

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13 WHAM News, Morning Anchor

Dan Schrack is a morning anchor at 13WHAM News and a committed vegan with a passion for storytelling and community engagement. Since joining the 13WHAM team in 2019, Dan has been a familiar face to viewers across Western New York, bringing compassion and clarity to the morning news.

This year, he brings that same thoughtful presence to Rochester VegFest as the moderator of our Rochester Vegan Entrepreneurs Panel. With his professional experience and personal commitment to plant-based living, Dan is the perfect guide for this inspiring conversation.

Catch Dan Schrack at Rochester VegFest 2025

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

Follow Dan on social media for more on his work in journalism, behind-the-scenes moments, and insights from his plant-based life:

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.