Every month, a group of foodies with a plant-based mentality gather in Redmond to share good food and build community. The Redmond Vegan Potluck was started a number of years ago by Holly and Andrew Hoeksema, who held the meetings first at the Redmond Chamber of Commerce and later at the Redmond Library, current group organizer Samantha McConnell-Smith told the Source Weekly. This month, the event will be held at the High Desert Music Hall on Oct. 16 at 6pm.
“The idea behind the group was to have a space where people could come together and share plant-based/vegan meals and build community here locally,” wrote McConnell-Smith. “We welcome all people to come, even if they’re not vegan. We love the opportunity to both eat/try delish food with each other and share it with new people! We only ask that the food brought be vegan/free from animal products. Also, bringing their own utensils/plates is requested. I usually bring extra in case people don’t have any.”
In addition to the potluck, the group has also had movie nights and special guest speakers, such as Robine Bots from the local animal rescue group, Harmony Farm Sanctuary. At each event, the focus is on creating a welcoming environment to learn about plant-based lifestyles.
“There are some folks who come that are strict vegans, some vegetarians, omnivores, raw foodies, and the whole gambit. We don’t believe in shaming folks…we want to share and maybe expose people to new foods and/or ideas,” McConnell-Smith explained.
This month’s potluck theme is “Autumn Bounty.” More information can be found on the group’s Facebook group page, Vegan and Plant-Based Redmond OR: facebook.com/veganplantbasedRedmondOregon/.
This article appears in Source Weekly October 10, 2024.
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