Animal Activists of Alachua is hosting its eighth annual VegFest from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Plaza of the Americas.
Tommasina Miller, a UF English senior and the club's president, said the festival will provide enough free vegan-friendly food for up to 1,000 people, her goal for the festival's attendance.
"We want to reach out to people who have never tried vegetarian or vegan foods and educate them about the cruelty animals in factory farms undergo," Miller said.
The festival will also feature Robert Cheeke, an award-winning vegan body builder, who will speak about body building and where vegetarians and vegans get their protein.
Miller said there will be "empathy stations," which are areas designed to help people envision the lives of animals in factory farms.
For the first time, the group will host a donation drive for Rooterville, a local pig sanctuary, and Jungle Friends, a local primate sanctuary. Miller said there will be prizes for those who donate the most produce, money or time, and 100 gift cards to local restaurants will be handed out randomly.
