Vegan Prom.jpg
David Agranoff snaps a 'prom' photo for Randall Perez and Megan Brooker at the inaugural Vegan Prom in 2008.
(Doug Beghtel/The Oregonian)
If your high school prom was full of too many meatheads, perhaps you'll find solace in Portland's Vegan Prom.
The event, run by Try Vegan PDX caps off a week-long series of local events called Try Vegan Week, promoting the benefits of going through life without animal byproducts (yes, that includes your precious mead).
We know Vegan Prom obviously won't include any mini-sausage appetizers – unless Field Roast has jumped into that market – but what will it have? According to Try Vegan co-founder Deanna Cintas, it won't be unlike any other adult prom.
"We pretty much just dance and we usually have seating areas for people that just hang out," Cintas said. There will be music, booze and food to boot. "All the food that will be there is vegan, of course," she noted.
If you've been avoiding veganism as some abomination to our meat-loving country, here's a basic definition of what adherents don't do: animal flesh, edible animal byproducts (like eggs, milk and honey), non-edible animal byproducts (like wool, leather and down), and products that were tested on animals (certain cosmetics, for example).
This year's Vegan Prom theme is "Masquarade," and organizers are asking participants to make their masks vegan as well – without bird feathers or leather (or hoof glue, presumably).
Cintas stressed that you don't have to be vegan to attend. An open mind is all you need to enjoy the event, and despite the stereotypes, there are still a lot of closed minds in vegan-friendly city. "Portland is definitely progressive in that sense, but because we're a foodie culture there are people who don't care," she said.
The Vegan Prom is actually more of a community mixer than it is a public statement on going vegan. It's a place where people who do care about going without animal byproducts can party, free from fear that the cake was made with eggs or the pizza with real cheese.
The group came up with the idea in 2008, but their original motivations are now unclear. According to Cintas, someone simply suggested it and everybody agreed. "A lot of vegans in Portland, they like to drink, they like to dance, and go out and stay out late," she said. "It seemed like a pretty fitting celebration."
Since the original Portland inception, Vegan Proms have been popping up around the country. As far as Try Vegan PDX leaders know, they had the idea first, but that doesn't mean they're letting their influence go to their heads.
Vegan Prom 2014 won't be drastically different from Vegan Prom 2013. It will be a simple affair that proves vegans can have fun too. A life without honey can be just as sweet.
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VEGAN PROM 2014
When: Aug. 16, from 8 to 11 p.m.
Where: Moxie Studio (map it)
Tickets: $15 at the door or $10 in advance
--Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB