Second-Annual Plant-Based Festival at Gulfstream Will Explore Healthy Lifestyle Choices

Gulfstream Park Village will present the second annual Plant-Based Festival this Sunday, February 9, a daylong event showcasing how to incorporate healthy eating and a plant-based lifestyle into your life.

The free event begins at 11:30 a.m. and will run through 4 p.m. in the Gulfstream Park Village shopping area, where more than sixty vendors will feature the latest in food, drink, and plant-based goods. Guests will have the opportunity to learn more about vegan values, sample products, and experience meat-free dietary choices.

Alex Schreer, director of experiential marketing for Madison Marquette, who represents Gulfstream Park Village, said the idea for the event came from City of Hallandale Beach commissioner Anabelle Lima-Taub, who's an advocate for plant-based eating. Last year's festival attracted more than 2,000 attendees.

"We knew that plant-based nutrition was becoming more and more popular and thought it was a great idea to make it a free event to bring the community together so they could learn more about it,” Schreer said. "This year we will have thirty percent more vendors and new products ranging from plant-based pizza to dog biscuits. There will also be food trucks and new restaurants participating.”

During this year's festival, vendors and wellness companies will offer guests gluten-free and plant-based foods, beverages, and desserts, along with lotions and creams, organically made products and clothing, and recycled materials. Yoga and fitness communities will serve as educational platforms, and there will be a main stage for presenters, along with live music, giveaways from merchants, and kids contests.

In addition, commissioner Lima-Taub will give a talk about the positive impact of a whole foods diet on human health and the planet. The program also includes speakers Michelle Larea, Aventura Hospital’s nutrition and diabetes educator; and Flaviah Campos, an integrated health coach certified in plant-based nutrition, who will give a presentation on healing through a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Festival-goers are encouraged to bring their own reusable water bottles, cups, and cutlery to the event. Inspired by Hallandale Beach’s plastic straw ban, Gulfstream Park Village will be giving away multi-color stainless-steel reusable straws to the first 500 guests.

With the growing popularity of a vegan diet, Schreer is already planning the third annual festival, slated for November 2020. 

Second Annual Plant-Based Festival. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, February 9, at Gulfstream Park Village, 901 S. Federal Hwy., Hallandale Beach; 954-454-7000; gulfstreampark.com. Admission is free.