Toronto vegan festival to feature 17-year-old real life Marvel Superhero and fashion show this weekend 

Planted Expo is one of the largest plant-based and vegan events in North America and it’s coming to Toronto this weekend. 

For $30 and free for kids under 12, attendees can access business booths, sample over 150 plant-based vendors including vegan Jamaican patties, attend speaking engagements, and a cooking stage for both Saturday and Sunday at the Enercare Centre. 

Guests will also have the opportunity to be considered for gift giveaways: vegan ready-to-eat meals, smoothie mixes, and imperfect fruit and vegetable groceries. 

The weekend event is an opportunity for anyone interested in plant-based living, holistic health, and healing their relationship with food. 

15 speakers from all over the world will be presenting at Plant Expo, including 17-year-old anti-animal cruelty activist Genesis Butler, who’s travelling all the way from Long Beach, California. 

Growing up homeschooled, Butler could experiment with who she wanted to be at the age of six while the other kids were beginning elementary school. She knew she wanted to protect animals and was the first person in her family to become vegan. 

Butler’s impressive work on anti-animal cruelty was seen by Disney who reached out to her to film what she does in a day. The company also surprised her by titling her as a real life Marvel superhero. 

The Planted Expo will be her first time coming to speak in Toronto.

“When I first went into public speaking, it took me a while to gain my confidence in it. I realize how important and powerful it is because you can reach so many people just by speaking,” Butler told Now Toronto. 

She’s currently developing a vegan cookbook that honours traditional cuisines to make it easier for people from different cultures to adopt a plant-based diet. 

“Her presence sends a powerful message about the integral role of youth and individuals from varied backgrounds in driving forward the conversation on environmental and animal welfare,” The Vegan Fashion Show Director and Plant Expo Spokesperson Vikki Lenola told Now Toronto in an email statement.  

The exposition is also having itsvery first fashion show in collaboration with The Vegan Fashion Show.

“We are living in an exciting time of innovation. Next-gen materials are animal-free and far superior when it comes to sustainability. Animal agriculture in general is a top contributor to climate change, deforestation, biodiversity loss, ocean acidification, and many other forms of environmental degradation,” Lenola said. 

The show will feature plant-based fabrics, brands dedicated to reducing their carbon footprint, and Indigenous designer Jummobi Apparel, who preserves Indigenous culture without using animals. 

Other health and fitness influencers who have been featured on popular Netflix shows will be in attendance as well, such as vegan male professional bodybuilder who’s never eaten meat in his life Nimai Delgado. 

The Planted Expo will be heading to Seattle for the first time in April and then Vancouver in June. 

The Planted Expo will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both Mar. 23 and Mar 24 at the Enercare Centre located at 100 Princes’ Blvd #1. The Vegan Fashion Show is this Saturday at the expo from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.