For people who are vegan, it's often more than just a diet. It's a lifestyle. There are multiple reasons behind why someone might become vegan, whether it's a concern for animal treatment, personal health or environmental awareness.
According to Pew Research Center, 8% of Black Americans are vegans or vegetarians, compared to just 3% of the general population, and this is in part due to concerns about heart disease and lack of healthy food options in some communities.
Tens of thousands of people attended Cleveland's VegFest, a vegan food festival, before the pandemic, becoming an annual event in 2012. After a hiatus in the years following the pandemic, this year, the event is back, taking place on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Huntington Convention Center in Downtown Cleveland.
On Thursday's "Sound of Ideas," we'll discuss the reasons why many are going vegan with the head of the Cleveland Vegan Society.
Later in this hour, we'll discuss one of the Northeast Ohio's most iconic festivals taking place this weekend.
The Tri-C JazzFest began 45 years ago. This year, the festival once again convenes at Playhouse Square, filling the various theaters with jazz players of international renown.
The festival also once again closes off Euclid Avenue to car traffic and erects a stage under the giant chandelier.
With plenty of offerings this weekend for jazz lovers, and those unfamiliar to the art form, we wanted to spend a little time today previewing the festival.
We'll parse through the festival with Ideastream JazzNEO Host and Producer, Dan Polletta.
And, we'll hear from two titans of the local film scene who are stepping away from their current roles and into retirement.
Guests:
-Sunny Simon, President, Cleveland Vegan Society
-Chef Sonia "Vegan Vicki" Steele, Owner, Koncious Kuisine
-Dan Polletta, Host and Producer, JazzNEO/ Ideastream Public Media
-Marcie Goodman, Outgoing Executive Director, Cleveland International Film Festival
-John Ewing, Outgoing Director, Cleveland Cinematheque
-Kabir Bhatia, Senior Arts Reporter, Ideastream Public Media
