Oaks Amusement Park

7805 SE Oaks Park Way, Portland

7:30 - 8:30 AM Check in

9:00 AM - Trot Kick-Off

Start your Thanksgiving morning with purpose, fresh air, and community spirit at the Portland Tofurky Trot 2025 – “Chasing Compassion!” This family-friendly 5K fun run/walk is back and better than ever, kicking off from the beautifully remodeled Oaks Park Dance Pavilion at 9:00 AM sharp.

Whether you're running, walking, trotting with a stroller, or bringing your friendly pup along for the fun, Tofurky Trot welcomes all ages and fitness levels to join in a celebration of compassion, gratitude, and plant-based living— all to support local farm animal sanctuaries.

Last year, the Tofurky Trot raised more than $15,000 to benefit local farm sanctuaries. We hope to raise as much to benefit them this year.

Early-bird registration and pre-orders of race t-shirts or sweatshirts ends October 30. We cannot guarantee that shirts in your size will be available for purchase on race day, so register today before prices go up.

Amazing food. Community. Some new surprises this year.

This is the biggest vegan potluck of the year in Oregon, and we are holding it a week earlier this year so we can hold it in a larger venue. Join us at the Oaks Park Dance Pavilion on Sunday, November 16 for a shared compassionate pre-holiday meal. Special thanks to Tofurky for again donating Tofurky roasts to augment this event.

Doors open at 3:00 and eating starts at 3:45. We encourage you to come early to find a place to sit and then you can play Mingle Bingo and win some fun prizes if you wish. You will get a bingo card filled with traits and activities instead of numbers. Then you chat with others and find someone who matches a description on your card and write their name in the box. If you get 5 different names in a row, you have BINGO!

Click here to register for your spot before all seats are filled.

Wow! 22 food carts, indoor and outdoor covered seating with heaters, playgrounds and plenty of parking. Oak Street Station has an indoor area with a brew pub, bakery, ice cream vendor, and rest rooms. This site represents the potential of upscale food cart communities to replace the concept of food circuses in malls.

Many carts here have vegan options, and we can help them improve! Over the years our Vegan Happy Hours have convinced local restaurants to offer more vegan options. Please join us to make these businesses aware that more vegan options are needed. Click here to see full menus.

Join us November 10, 5:30-7:30pm

Celebrate Halloween and Día de Los Muertos in a harmless way at Harmless Halloween, put on by Vegan Scouts and Try Vegan PDX! Northwest VEG is sponsoring and also participating in this event! Come in costume! This is a vegan, family-friendly event! The event will feature the third annual Trunk or Treat, a cupcake walk sponsored by Out to Pasture Animal Sanctuary, a skeleton animal petting sanctuary, a raffle, and lots of other crafts and activities.

As you likely already know, a low-waste lifestyle is good for the people and animals on our planet. It still can be hard sometimes putting earth friendly living into practice. Join us to learn some tips for being a more earth friendly household. Justine Meyer is a volunteer with Clark County's Composter Recycler Program to help educate community members about making greener choices and reducing waste. She will offer some tips on getting the most out of your food to limit food waste, how to compost even in small spaces or indoors (yes, it's possible!), ways to maximize recycling efforts and tips for green (true cruelty free) cleaning.

For the potluck, please bring a plant-based (no meat, eggs, dairy, or other animal products, including honey) main dish, salad, or dessert; a card listing its ingredients; and plates and utensils for your use. If you come alone, figure the amount to serve 4-6; increase the amount 4 servings for each additional person in your party/family.

We have a real treat following the Northwest VEG Westside vegan potluck in October. Scott Hoffman Black has been at the forefront of the conservation movement for over three decades. He is executive director of the Xerces Society, which under his leadership has become the largest invertebrate conservation non-profit on the world. Scott’s work has led to protection and restoration of habitat on millions of acres of rangelands, forests, and farmland as well as protection for many endangered species. Scott will be giving a fascinating presentation on the importance of insects in preserving our natural environment and how they are an important factor in addressing the environmental issues facing all life on Earth. Come at 5:00 pm for the potluck, 6:15 pm for Scott’s presentation, or both.

Location: West Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 8470 SW Oleson Road, Portland

Food As Medicine – Santa Cruz brings together healthcare professionals, researchers, and experts from various fields to explore the latest scientific findings, clinical applications, and practical insights related to plant-based diets.

Learn the latest information on plant-based nutrition, the effects of diet on chronic disease prevention and control, and about designing an optimum plant-based diet for patients and clients in a clinical setting. This conference is designed for healthcare professionals, offering 7 continuing education credits for many health care professionals, but others with strong interests in nutrition and health are welcome to attend. Key Speakers include Milton Mills, MD, Doug Lisle, PhD, Vesanto Melina MS, RD, Debra Shapiro, MD, and Maria Jose Hummel, PhD. You can attend either in -person or online.

This conference is presented by Eat for the Earth, with Northwest VEG, Adventist Health Ukiah Valley, Kaiser Permanente, and Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine as co-sponsors.

On October 5, 2025, a new kind of fragrance experience is coming to Portland. Try Vegan PDX and NW Veg will present AromaKind, the city’s first-ever cruelty-free fragrance expo, taking place from 12 to 5 p.m. in the Arium Ballroom at Jupiter Hotel NEXT.

Designed to celebrate ethical and independent perfumery, AromaKind will showcase a diverse group of makers from across the Pacific Northwest and surrounding region. The event aims to bring greater visibility to vegan and cruelty-free scent-based artisans, a growing niche within the beauty and wellness industry that blends art, sustainability, and compassion.

“Our goal with AromaKind is to create space for people to explore fragrance in a more intentional way—supporting businesses that are aligned with cruelty-free values,” said organizers from Try Vegan PDX.

The event is free, with a $5 suggested donation to help pay costs. Get your free tickets at Eventbright, but please consider a donation.

Join us for a special Veganic Gardening PDX event designed to help you prepare your garden for a thriving, plant-based spring!
Whether you're a seasoned grower or just getting your hands in the soil, this is your chance to learn from Bonnie Hildebrand, long-time veganic farmer who ran her own successful veganic farming business for several years.

Come connect with fellow gardeners and get the tools you need to grow abundant food in harmony with animals and the Earth.
Please note: Masks are highly encouraged. Parking is on the street.
Feel free to bring a vegan treat to share!

RSVP to Marsha at collapseresiliencecollective@gmail.com

Northwest VEG is excited to have cooking instructor and cookbook author Linda Tyler presenting Plant-Based Meal Planning and Prep: Strategies for Simpler, Healthier Eating for our September program following our potluck.

Are you someone who makes weekly meal plans? Do you batch cook in advance—or wish you did? Whether you already prep meals or are just curious about how it could work for you, this session will give you fresh ideas and practical tools to make plant-based eating easier and more sustainable.

You may join us for the potluck at 5:30 or at 6:30 when the presentation begins.

Location: Unitarian Universalist Church of Vancouver 4505 W. 18th Street, Vancouver, WA,

Come meet Lucas Spiegel, Portland-based director of the upcoming documentary Kinship, planned to be released in 2026. 

Kinship follows Lucas as he travels the world and meets those who are living out values of true respect for animals. From animal sanctuaries, cutting-edge alt-protein companies, and off-grid communities, to activist organizations, innovative chefs, and farmers who have transitioned out of animal agriculture—the documentary will spotlight a wide range of change-makers around the world. Part impact documentary, part food show, and part travel memoir, Kinship is an exciting and fascinating exploration of the world's cuisines and traditions, the world's activists and innovators, and the world's potential future. 

The filming of Kinship is about half-completed, and Lucas will share pre-release footage from the documentary and tell us about the project.  Come to the potluck at 5:00, meet Lucas and hear about the Kinship documentary at 6:15, or both.

Location: Stone Tower SDA Church, 3010 NE Holladay St., Portland

Please join us for lively conversation, libations, and find another local restaurant with vegan options. Haveli’s mission is to share the vibrant and authentic flavors of Punjab with the Pacific Northwest.

This is an opportunity to connect with one another and with local restaurants catering to vegan food choices. Your attendance encourages our hosts to offer more vegan options as well as introduce our members and friends to vegan-friendly restaurants right here in the Vancouver area.

Haveli Indian Grill, 419 E Street, Washougal, Sept. 10, 5:30-7:30

What's on your mind about food? Join the Plant-Based Portland Meetup Group, along with Dr. Daniel Redwood, for our online conversation about whole food plant-based living. Dr. Redwood is currently the Director of Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine at the University of Western States and will be available to answer nutrition questions and join in the conversation. You are welcome to prepare and show us one of your favorite plant-based dishes, ideally nutrient-dense whole foods with no added salt, oil or sugar (SOS-free). Or if you don't feel like cooking, that's fine too!
Let's share our concerns and successes, and what we've learned recently -- cookbooks and recipes, food prep and cooking tips, and news about local restaurants.
The Zoom link will be sent shortly before the event to those who RSVP. Looking forward to seeing you online!

Both the Plant-Based Portland and the Viva La Vegan Meetup Groups are sponsored by Northwest VEG.

Whether you’re planting your first seeds or managing a seasoned garden, this special live Q&A via Zoom is for you! From 2:00 PM 3:00 PM.

Bring your questions for Rhonda-T Warren, an expert veganic gardener who runs both a certified veganic farm and a vegan animal sanctuary. She brings a wealth of experience growing food without animal inputs—while honoring the land and all who live on it.

RSVP for zoom link: collapseresiliencecollective@gmail.com

Northwest VEG is excited to have cooking instructor and cookbook author Linda Tyler presenting Plant-Based Meal Planning and Prep: Strategies for Simpler, Healthier Eating for our August program following our potluck.

Linda will present the many benefits of meal planning and prep—from saving time and reducing stress to improving nutrition and cutting down on food waste. You’ll learn how different approaches to meal prep can fit different lifestyles, and why last-minute dinner decisions often lead to frustration (and takeout). She will also share her own weekly prep habits, insights from her new ebook Cook Once, Eat Better, and simple strategies to help you build a plant-based routine that works for you.

Come to the potluck at 5:00, Linda’s presentation at 6:15, or both. Location: WHUUF, 8470 Southwest Oleson Road, Portland

We are very pleased to welcome Zuriel van Belle to present to us about Portland's resident coyotes following our Eastside vegan potluck. The Portland Urban Coyote Project has been recording human-coyote interactions for over 10 years. With the help of over 20,000 sighting reports, van Belle will unpack the human side of human-wildlife conflict, explain how coyotes make a living in the city, how wildlife stewardship starts in our own backyards, and what's next for the coyote project.

Zuriel van Belle is a geographer focused on animals, plants, and places. She is the director of the Portland Urban Coyote Project, a community science, research, and education project. Her personal interests include digging in the dirt, downshifting, and dogs. Come to the potluck at 5:00, the Portland Urban Coyote presentation at 6:15, or both. Coyotes photo by Molly Sultany

Location: Stone Tower SDA Church, 3010 NE Holladay St., Portland

Come join us July 4th for our annual vegan picnic potluck at the Evelyn Schiffler Memorial Park in Beaverton. Bring the whole family as there will be games and more—for all ages! See old friends and meet new ones.

Once again, Northwest VEG will be supplying free vegan ice cream for this event.

Enjoy great food at the potluck and/or learn about the changes coming as Oregon implements its new recycling law starting July 1.  Peter Spendelow, past President of Northwest VEG and 40-year Waste Reduction Specialist at the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, will talk about how the Oregon Recycling Modernization Act will change what happens with our recyclables and will add new recycling opportunities and unify collection programs throughout the state. The new programs will be paid for in large part by the producers of packaging, printed paper, and food serviceware.  Oregon is the first state in the nation to implement producer responsibility legislation for these materials.

Just prior to the program, Northwest VEG will hold a short annual membership meeting, announce the results of the Northwest VEG board election, and give a brief update on the status of the organization and upcoming events. You can come just to the potluck at 5:00 pm, the annual meeting and program which will start at 6:15 pm, or both.

Location: WHUUF, 8470 Southwest Oleson Road, Portland

Summer gardens are heating up!
Join us for this virtual meet up to share photos of our gardens and get our questions answered.

We are very pleased to welcome local cookbook author and recipe developer Surraya Drugovic as our program presenter following our May potluck.  In her presentation, Surraya will demonstrate a couple of simple, delicious recipes from her cookbook The Art of Plant-Based Cuisine, and share her transformative journey of how embracing plant-based living changed her life, both personally and in the kitchen.  Surraya holds a degree in Health and Wellness and is certified in Plant-Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies.  Through her cookbook, she aims to inspire others to embrace healthier, nourishing meals that can heal and satisfy.  Her cookbook will be available for sale at the event. Come to the potluck at 5:00, Surraya’s presentation at 6:15, or both.

Location: Stone Tower SDA Church, 3010 NE Holladay St., Portland

The Eugene VeganFest is a fun, inviting event to help nurture our local community to expand our compassion, explore our ethical capacity, and learn how to be the healthiest we can be in both body and spirit. Our relationship to animals and the natural world is critical to our future. Join us for a day of fabulous food, great speakers, interesting information, and an opportunity to make the world a better place for all those who share the Earth. For more information, visit https://eugeneveganfest.org/

Come join longtime NW VEG member Dr. John Collins, ND, for his presentation as he talks about how our diet and traditions affect animals , our planet, and our health.

Since retiring from his career as a naturopathic doctor, Dr. Collins now enjoys the daily routine of caring for the animals, plants, buildings and equipment at the sanctuary.

OTP is home to a variety of farm animals, large and small, and also provides an adoption program for animals rescued from abuse, neglect or slaughter. The event begins at 7:15. Click here for the registration page.

Come join us to share a meal and get to know one another better. For our program, instead of a speaker, we will have an interactive discussion of where you are on your vegan path and what your aspirations are. We will all leave our judgments behind so everyone can share openly.

Join us for the next Veganic Gardening PDX Meet Up on Saturday, 4/26 at 2 pm at Kailash Ecovillage!

We'll do some socializing and snacks, followed by discussion and Q and A about planting from seeds and starts (and maybe delve into composting and mulching if we have time). Then, we'll have a tour of Kailash's fantastic gardens and grounds (gardens galore! humanure! bamboo forest! treehouse!), led by Kailash's cofounder, Ole Ersson!