🐰💚✊ Thank you to the five fearless animal advocates who braved the rain last weekend as we protested Pet Connection, a local pet store that sources bunnies from breeders!

Together, we pressured Pet Connection to stop selling rabbits from breeders, raised awareness about the problems associated with selling bunnies for profit, and encouraged people to adopt rabbits from local shelters instead.

At the time of this protest, nearly 160 rabbits await adoption in the St. Louis area, a number that will swell in the coming weeks as St. Louisans realize they cannot properly care for the delicate beings they bought as “gifts” for Easter. And those are just the rabbits listed on registries!

We held this protest despite the rain on both Friday and Saturday. On both occasions, we were verbally assaulted by the staff at Pet Connection, who repeatedly cussed at us, ridiculed us, and even threatened to physically assault us.

While we have much further to go with Pet Connection, we did secure a significant victory: Lynn's Exotics & Aquatics has begun reaching out to rescues, and they plan to source rabbits from rescues instead of breeders moving forward!

Whether we’re protesting a problem company or writing a letter that inspires a local pet store to begin cutting breeders out of their supply chain, we have shown that just a handful of people working on a pressure campaign can secure meaningful victories for the animals.

After all, even large corporations source their bunnies from local rescues now. If Petco and PetSmart can do it, so can Pet Connection!

🐣🧇💚 Thank you to the 47 phenomenal vegan foodies who joined us today at our first annual Vegster celebration!

Vegster is a vegan Easter celebration about hope, renewal, and the return of spring. It is a sibling to Vegmas, a vegan Christmas celebration, that we have dreamed of hosting for over six years.

Thanks to Big Mama’s House, this dream finally came true, and the food could hardly have been more delightful. From the soul-warming waffles and tofu scramble to the sprightly mimosas and pineapple upside-down bundt cakes, Big Mama’s House prepared a feast worthy of this sacred holiday.

In fact, many people got seconds and even thirds and left with to-go plates; Big Mama’s House truly made heaping plates of delicious food for everyone to enjoy, all of it 100% vegan, free of refined sugar, and 100% gluten-free!

A special shout-out to Joy Gioia of Missouri House Rabbit Rescue for presenting about the need to rescue domestic rabbits during the Easter season, when millions of rabbits are abandoned at shelters across the country.

Whether or not you celebrated with us, we hope you all had a happy, restful, and fulfilling Easter with friends, family, and loved ones.

Join us again next month at our Vegan Ice Cream Social!

🥳💚🛒 Thank you to the nearly 1,300 people who joined us yesterday for our largest STL Vegan Market ever!

For the first time in our history, we not only crossed the 1,000-person threshold, we blew past it, attracting nearly 50% more people than at our next largest market!

It was an exhilarating experience watching our community come together to support exceptional local vegan and vegan-friendly businesses. The support was so overwhelming, in fact, that many vendors had near nonstop lines, and at least half a dozen sold out altogether!

Visitors, vendors, and volunteers alike all relished the market, and we could have hardly asked for more beautiful weather.

A special shout-out to the following sponsors who helped make this thriving community event possible: Carol House Furniture, Bombay Food Junkies, Bougie Bites STL, Seedz Cafe, Harvest Shreds, Sun Solar, and Pieces: The St. Louis Board Game Bar & Cafe.

We would like to thank everyone who came together to make yesterday’s market possible. Together, we are building a world where animals no longer suffer and die needlessly for profit!

Please join us again next month at STL Vegan Market - May 2025, and don't miss Vegster: A Vegan Easter Brunch and Pet Connection Protest: Save the Bunnies!

🎲♟️😍 Thank you to the 17 stupendous vegan gamers who joined us last night for our Vegan Game Night!

Together, we played games, delighted in each other's company, and savored the great vegan eats at Pieces: The St. Louis Board Game Bar & Cafe.

From the Midwest Poke Bowl with highly craveable Harvest Shreds to their gluten-free raspberry thumbprint cookies and so much more, Pieces truly delivers when it comes to their vegan options.

A special thank you to Pieces for not only including so many delightful vegan options on their menu, but also working hard to serve our group during an especially popular night at their restaurant and gorgeous gaming space.

While we will not hold a Vegan Game Night as usual next month, we encourage you to join us at Vegster: A Vegan Easter Brunch instead.

Thank you all for the vegan laughs, and see you back at Pieces in May!

✊💚🐟 Thank you to the seven stellar fish advocates who joined us yesterday for the World Day for the End of Fishing!

Dozens of cities mobilized around the globe as part of this worldwide day of action, and we are proud to have brought this international campaign back to St. Louis for the second year in a row.

Together, we reached over 4,400 passersby, advocated for fish freedom, and inspired hundreds of people to more seriously consider the plights trillions of fish face, in turn reducing fish consumption and saving untold thousands of fishes from needless slaughter.

We raised awareness about the cruelty and environmental devastation inherent to the fishing industry, and we built pressure to abolish this cruel and destructive industry once and for all. Afterward, we headed over to Seedz Cafe, where we enjoyed a delightful meal and many laughs.

Please join us next month as we table at St. Louis Earth Day Festival to raise awareness about the many environmental benefits of a plant-based lifestyle!

🤤💚🐟 Thank you to the 85 eager vegan foodies who joined us last night for our third annual Fish Free Fry, catered by the one and only Adina's Vegan Cuisine!

Together, we filled the gym with hearty vegan vibes, savored vegan takes on fish fry classics, and proved you can celebrate Lent without killing any fish.

We held this event in the gym of a Catholic school once known as Epiphany, offering an alternative to the conventional fish fry. Area Catholics and people of all religious backgrounds alike could delight in this 100%-vegan fish fry experience.

In fact, our Fish Free Fry reached over 30,000 St. Louisans this year, planting seeds of compassion and helping people realize that vegan alternatives exist to virtually every animal product. This plant-based celebration also showcased that St. Louis is home to a vibrant vegan community, inspiring connection and dietary change.

A special thank you to Adina’s Vegan Cuisine, Ms. Adina, and her team. Their food is simply exquisite, and they are among the very best vegan caterers in all of St. Louis! If you haven’t already, you should visit them at their location on 6746 Page Ave. They are located in a beautiful, brand-new building, and the food is always worth the trip!

Did you miss our Fish Free Fry? No problem; visit Adina’s Vegan Cuisine on a Friday for their full fish-fry menu!

Thank you, again, for your support. We hope to see you again at our Vegan Game Night this Sunday!

⚜️💜🍾 Thank you to the 11 excellent marchers who joined us yesterday in the Soulard Mardi Gras Parade!

We made history as the first vegan/animal rights group to officially march as part of the parade, mainstreaming veganism and raising awareness about our cause.

As we marched, spectators would often greet us with chants of “vegan” and “tofu,” showing how our message resonated with thousands of festivalgoers.

People loved our “Eat more tofu” and “Bro, Bud Light is vegan” signs in particular, with hundreds of people shouting in support.

In fact, there were many vegans watching the parade who felt an immediate sense of camaraderie and excitement when they saw us pass by.

We proudly displayed our STL Vegan Market banner and held signs directing people to VeganSTL.com, a valuable resource that highlights the best of veganism in St. Louis.

Soulard Mardi Gras is the second largest Mardi Gras celebration in the country, and we are grateful to have represented vegans, animals, and our local community through our contingent in the parade.

Please join us again at World Day for the End of Fishing - St. Louis, MO, the next time we raise signs for a more just future!

🎲♟️😍 Thank you to the 23 terrific board gamers who joined us for our largest, most enjoyable Vegan Game Night ever!

Together, we delighted in nearly a dozen different games, savored Pieces Board Game Bar and Cafe’s expansive vegan menu, and shared many vegan laughs throughout the evening.

Uno, Cards Against Humanity, chess, Telestrations, and Just One were some of the delightful games we played together, alongside our newest game, Point City.

We are so grateful to everyone who joined us at Pieces’ new location by Anheuser-Busch Brewery. Together, we showcased the vibrancy of our local vegan community while enjoying the incredible hospitality Pieces is known for.

We hope to see you again next month at our Fish Free Fry!

That’s right; Carol House Furniture is sponsoring STL Vegan Market at our highest level—the Butterfly tier. Their generous donation will help us bring you our best, most enjoyable vegan market season yet!

🛋️ ABOUT CAROL HOUSE FURNITURE:

Carol House is the only St. Louis furniture store with 50 name brands of home furnishings at the guaranteed lowest price in the country. They have over two football fields worth of selection, and they provide exceptional customer service, including free delivery and setup, interest-free financing, and in-home design.

The Dubmans, who own Carol House Furniture, are also some of the staunchest animal welfare advocates in the entire state of Missouri, and they have contributed massively to animal welfare causes over the years, both locally and beyond. They not only provide high-impact spay and neuter services through Carol House Quick Fix Pet Clinic, but also fight for stronger pro-animal legislation at the state level. True to their values, they have not sold any animal-derived leather in their showrooms for over 20 years.

Please support this amazing business by visiting them for all your furniture-related needs—because you like nice things!

🏈💚🏆 Thank you to the 17 football fans who joined us for our Vegan Super Bowl Potluck!

Together, we savored vegan takes on game-day classics, enjoyed great vegan company, and watched the game in style.

From board games to mini Reuben sandwiches, there was something for everyone to enjoy at this football-themed celebration.

A special shout-out to Seedz Cafe for making donuts and generously hosting our event! It was a pleasure working with them, and they are truly committed to strengthening our local vegan community.

Seedz makes arguably the best vegan donuts in St. Louis, with delectable flavors ranging from chocolate sprinkles to mixed berry and citrus.

You can snag your very own Seedz donuts Tuesday through Sunday in the morning and early afternoon. Get yours today!

🤤💚🎂 A huge thank you to the 100+ amazing people who joined us for Kyle’s Kickass Vegan Birthday Party last Saturday!

Together, we savored some of St. Louis’ finest vegan eats, celebrated six years of progress at Project Animal Freedom, and raised over $1,000 for STL Vegan Market.

We were blown away by the incredible community support, with attendance nearly doubling compared to last year’s party! This event made one thing clear: Project Animal Freedom is here to stay, and the best is yet to come.

A special shout-out to Bombay Food Junkies and their incredible staff for hosting us and working tirelessly to accommodate all our guests. Their cakes were divine, and their service was top-notch as always!

Thanks to this phenomenal turnout and overwhelming support, we're gearing up for an exceptional market season. In fact, over 1.4k people have already RSVPed to our April market with over two months to go, making it our most anticipated market ever!

That’s right—don’t miss the grand return of our market series this spring at STL Vegan Market - April 2025!