Children's Activities Galore Come to U.S. Veg Corp's Vegetarian Festival

New York, NY, May 09, 2019 --(PR.com)-- If the Kumquat Kids Area sounds like a lot of kooky fun, that’s by design. It promises to be one of the most popular components of the ninth annual New York City Vegetarian Food Festival, to take place May 18-19 at the Metropolitan Pavilion, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days.

Attendees can expect a packed house of speakers, chef demos, wellness classes, a podcast taping, and scores of plant-based vendors. But for the younger set, the Kumquat area will offer tailor made activities.

There will be kid-friendly dance sessions from Cynthia King Dance Studio. Tashya Knight of Wellness 13 will lead yoga sessions specially suited for kids. The eco-friendly arts & crafts projects will be spearheaded by Raise Vegan and BE Beauty. Abioseh Cole will invite everyone to listen up at story time. And Michael Harren will curate music-making.

Throughout the weekend, children can sample a variety of vegan treats, and can also interact with a furry friend or two.

Among the many keynote presentations by plant-based experts, parents may find a Sunday afternoon panel of particular interest. Titled “Vegan Parenting,” the panel will feature:

· Robyn Moore, the brains behind RaisingVegKids.com. She has a master's degree in elementary education, a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell University, and a certificate in Humane Education from the Institute for Humane Education. She is also is the organizer of NYC Vegetarian & Vegan Families Meetup, and a book reviewer for VegBooks. She has taught English in Nepal,volunteered helping animals in South Africa, and enjoyed living abroad in Switzerland. She and her husband are raising their two children as vegans.

· Jared Madden, an actuary who is an accomplished amateur runner. He has competed in the Boston Marathon three times. He also competes frequently in ultra marathons, rangers, marathons and half marathons around the world, including in the Swiss Alps and on the Kalalau Trail on Kauai. He is a vocal advocate for veganism and consults with others on enhancing their running with a vegan lifestyle. Jared is very keen on raising his two sons, Rockwell (age 8) and Aurelius (age 4) vegan.

· Matisse Madden, a professional ballerina and ballet instructor at Yale University. She grew up on a plant-based diet as her mother raised her and her three brothers on a macrobiotic diet. In college she studied ballet and zoology, then received her MFA in Ballet teaching and choreography. Madden has danced professionally with Connecticut Ballet, and performed to critical acclaim in Europe. She is now a principal dancer with Dimensional Dance, based in Hartford, CT. She is vegan and consults others on the value of a vegan diet for dancers. She has had two healthy vegan pregnancies and had success nursing her babies while maintaining a vegan diet.

· Emily Wood, the co-founder and CEO of Raise Vegan Inc., the world's leading resource for vegan parents. After noticing a lack of information available to parents wishing to raise their children in a vegan lifestyle, she and her business partner launched Raise Vegan Magazine, Wood is a native New Yorker and mother to two awesome vegan kids.

· Karin Gibson, who worked as a registered dietitian in Sweden for many years helping patients with a variety of symptoms and diseases. She has experience working with children with food allergies, specific diet restrictions, eating disorders and failure to thrive. She is certified in Plant-Based Nutrition and currently lives in New York City where she coaches private clients through her private practice Grazing Greens. Gibson also specializes in plant-based diets during pregnancy and breastfeeding as well as how to raise healthy well-nourished plant-based children.

· Leinana Two Moons is a longtime vegan and author of Baconish. She also runs the blog Vegan Good Things. Her writing and photography have appeared in Laika and VegNews magazines. She lives in Long Island City with her husband, 7-year-old son, and 5-year-old daughter, who are all vegan.

Admission to the festival is free for children under 10. For adults, prices range from $20 (for students, senior citizens, and active-duty military members) to $75 (for a 2-day VIP pass). For further details or to purchase tickets, visithttps://www.nycvegfoodfest.com/index.php/festival-info/tickets.