A local vegan market is highlighting the “different faces of veganism” with monthly pop-up events, including an upcoming one featuring LGBTQ vegan-business owners.
Philly Vegan Pop Flea hosts more than 30 local vegan and vegetable-friendly businesses. The market’s organizers set up one-day-only pop-up markets in locations throughout the city.
In an effort to uplift marginalized communities, the events have recently featured vendors of color, women and, on Aug. 11, Philly Vegan Pop Flea will host its first Queerly Vegan Market at Repair the World in West Philadelphia.
“We wanted to home in our focus and shine some light on marginalized communities in the vegan world,” said Carlo Giardina, co-organizer of Philly Vegan Pop Flea. “Veganism isn’t just about saving the animals. It’s about the people too, especially the people who many wouldn’t even consider to be a part of our community.”
The market is changing the way people see and think about veganism, he said.
“The faces of veganism are changing. We come in all different colors, shapes and sizes — from different walks of life and orientations.”
Giardina, who will open a vegan convenience store called V Marks the Shop in South Philadelphia next month, has been a vegan for eight years. In college, he became a vegetarian after seeing a poster explaining the contents of a hot dog. He explored veganism after reverting to an omnivorous diet. He said he realized his own misconceptions of what veganism was after reading books on the topic.
“Most people think that vegans are these really skinny salad-eaters who are only concerned about saving the animals. That may be true in some instances, but that’s not always the case. I’m far from that. I’m a bigger guy who doesn’t look at all like the ‘typical’ vegan,” Giardina said.
“Those misconceptions are the reasons why the marketplace exists. Everyone is coming together to recognize that veganism isn’t some one-note way of life for a select, privileged few.”
Giardina and his co-organizer, Carmella Lanni-Giardina, launched the pop-up markets in 2016, describing them as a celebration of vegan living that features plant-based food and crafts such as jewelry, soaps and clothing by home-based artisans. The businesses range from online shops to local vendors, such as Philly Vegan vendor Shante Coleman, who owns Aubrey’s Adornments. Coleman said she uses social-media platforms such as Instagram to sell her products.
“We wanted to help small-business owners who don’t have storefronts established to get their names out there and promote themselves,” Giardina said.
In March, Philly Vegan hosted the Womxn-Made Market, an event exclusively featuring women-owned vegan businesses. On July 28, the pop–up market featured vegan business owners of color at the Power of Color Market, which drew more than 1,000 shoppers.
Laquan Harvey Davis, owner of vegan-dessert company How Delish, sold her products at the Power of Color Market. It was “refreshing” to see faces of color at a vegan event, she said.
“There aren’t a lot of spaces that celebrate the different faces of veganism. I think that some people have a certain idea of what a vegan chef looks like. They don’t picture someone like me. I’m glad that this marketplace is changing people’s minds about that,” Davis said.