World Vegetarian Day

So, neither Erin nor myself are strictly vegetarian (hardly) but we are clearly veggie-minded people, so I thought I would alert you to the auspicious happening known as World Vegetarian Day, occurring tomorrow, October 1.

And so this weekend, Golden Gate Park in San Francisco is the place to be. For one thing, the incredibly exciting Academy of Sciences has re-opened with its fancy coral reef, indoor rain forest, planetarium, and green roof. On top of that (or alongside of it) is the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass concert extravaganza (with MC Hammer! Emmy Lou Harris! The terrifying Bonnie "Prince" Billy!). But these two are hardly strictly the main attractions of this parklife weekend (yes, I went for it; don't hate).

Because... drum roll, please... the truly maddening crowds will be flocking to the World Vegetarian Day Festival, a carnival of vegetable madness descending upon the park, including an arboretum tour, veggie lectures, and food demos. The eye of the vegetable storm will be located at the County Fair building at 9th Ave. and Lincoln. While The Gourds will be rocking out on the Arrow Stage at the bluegrass festival, the alternate veggie festival entertainment promises to blow your mind with the 3:15 p.m. Saturday event listed as: "Wayne Huey, Chinese Acrobat followed by handstand demo with audience participation." For more on the veg fest schedule, click here. I would attend if it weren't for my paranoid fear that they would smell the bacon on my breath and lynch me (even if it did come from Prather Ranch). That was just a joke. Ha. Ha?

Tomorrow I will be attending a panel discussion on "A Food Agenda for the Next Administration" hosted by the UC Berkeley School of Journalism and featuring Michael Pollan and other luminaries of the growing healthy food movement. More info is here. Below is the event description:

"A Food Agenda for Next Administration will be a panel discussion at UC Berkeley that posits a policy framework for achieving healthy food and agriculture systems in the US. Speakers are Michael Dimock, President, Roots of Change; Michael Pollan, author and Professor, UC Graduate School of Journalism; Judith Redmond, co-owner Full Belly Farm and Board President, Community Alliance with Family Farmers; and Mark Ritchie Minnesota Secretary of State. The moderator is Cynthia Gorney, Professor, UC Graduate School of Journalism."