CONCORD, N.C. — Are you a vegan or know someone who is? Chances are you fall into one of those categories.
Research company Ipsos recently reported there are close to 10 million Americans who practice a vegan lifestyle, meaning they avoid animal foods and animal-based products.
What You Need To Know
- Morathi Howie, along with his sister and cousin, started Vegan Vibe Music Series in 2019
- Howie became a vegan nearly 25 years ago
- The series is held in Concord and offers opportunities for the community to learn about vegan and plant-based lifestyles
- It is typically held every other Sunday from May through August, and it features a different genre of music at each event
One local event celebrates all things vegan and educates people along the way.
The Vegan Vibe Music Series is held every other Sunday throughout the summer at Cabarrus Brewing Company. Like veganism, the event is growing in popularity.
Hydration is key in this summer heat, and for Morathi Howie, it is all about delicious, all-natural relief that almost leaves him speechless.
As one of the organizers of the Vegan Vibe Music Series, Howie samples and checks out a little bit of everything each vendor has to offer.
He, his sister and a cousin started the event four years ago in his hometown of Concord.
Howie wanted this labor of love to serve as a lesson in health for the community, specifically African Americans.
“We lead in every health related disease in America, whether it be diabetes, high blood pressure, strokes, hypertension, lupus. We lead in it,” Howie said. “Cancers, we lead in it. And that starts by what we’re putting on our plate. We can’t have generational wealth unless we have generational health.”
You could call Howie a “veteran vegan.” It has been his way of life now for almost 25 years.
He says it is exciting to see more people become more interested in natural foods and products.
“A lot of people are going into the vegan lifestyle for different reasons - you have health, you have for the animals and you have for saving the planet,” Howie said.
Howie believes all of these reasons have helped this event to grow.
When it started in 2019, he says there would be anywhere between 500 to 1,000 people for each series.
Today, the number of people is up to 4,000 on any Sunday.
He says the number of vegan and plant-based vendors and food trucks educating attendees on their products have doubled as well, and they now include young entrepreneurs, like the ones from a group called Young Moguls.
“This right here is going to be corporations because they are starting young. So, if they keep being consistent at it, they’ll be doing what we’re doing with the Vegan Vibe Music Series, just on another different level,” Howie said.
While this event is mainly about health and wealth, you cannot forget the vibes – something that could improve health by getting people moving.
Each week features a different genre of music through a DJ or a live band, and it’s all family-friendly.
“We go with old school hip hop. We go with old school R&B. We go with Afrobeats. We go with collective soul. We do Caribbean. We do jazz. We always kick off with jazz, but we always like to bring a great type of music because the rhythm is what keeps people happy,” Howie said.
Happy and healthy, it is the goal Howie set out to achieve four years ago, and it is one he strives to accomplish with every series, now as well as in the future.
He cannot help but to smile at what is to come.
“We want to take it on the road,” Howie said. “Vegan Vibe is something that started right here, and we already have different cities and different states asking for us to bring it on the road. So, as we get our sponsorship up, we’re going to take Vegan Vibes on the road.”
The Vegan Vibe Music Series is held every other Sunday at Cabarrus Brewing Company in Concord.
However, organizers will host a special edition in Uptown Charlotte at the end of July.