Your support helps us tell the story.
In my reporting on women's reproductive rights, I have witnessed the critical role that independent journalism plays in protecting freedoms and informing the public.
Your support allows us to keep these vital issues under the spotlight. Without your help, we would not be able to fight for truth and justice.
Every contribution ensures that we can continue reporting on the stories that impact lives.
Kelly Rissman
US News Reporter
Visitors to Vegandale have been left 'grumpy and miserable' after the festival struggled to secure tickets and resources.
The popular traveling food and music event, which is expected to draw 100,000 people in cities across North America this year, sparked a widespread reaction from the thousands of attendees who showed up at Citi Field in Queens on Saturday.
Attendees had paid anywhere from $15 for general admission to $90 for VIP access, eager to sample some vegan treats and hear New York rapper GloRilla perform. But the festival wasn't prepared for the crowds.
“We were hungry, grumpy and miserable,” said Queens graphic designer Rocco Marrongelli. The New York Times“I don’t think they had the manpower to deal with the waves of vegans trying to break down those doors.”
Marrongelli had waited in line for more than an hour before giving up and going home, like many others who hoped to get in but instead encountered a lengthy ticketing process caused by too few metal detectors and festival organizers forgoing crowd control.
Those who had struggled to find drinking water and shade amid the 84-degree weather, not to mention that bathroom resources had become so scarce that organizers had run out of toilet paper.
Many took to social media, with some X users comparing Vegandale to Fyre Festival, the 2017 luxury music festival infamous for leaving thousands of people stranded on an island with nothing but tents and mediocre food.
Meanwhile, Reddit users encouraged attendees to report the event to City Hall. Despite complaints from some attendees, there were also positive posts about the event.
Vegandale, however, acknowledged that the setup could have been much better.
“We faced some logistical challenges, which is part of working with a new venue,” said Jenna Lindsay, Vegandale’s vice president of communications and entertainment. She added that the team was aware they had to work out some kinks. “It was our first year at Citi Field, but the overall experience was really positive.”
This is not the first time the festival has come under fire. At last year’s New York event, the vegan community took issue with the headliner being Rick Ross, a rapper who owns several locations of the Wingstop chicken restaurant chain. Meanwhile, at Chicago’s Vegandale in June this year, a fight broke out during a Saweetie concert, leading to what was reportedly a stampede.
