Vegan marketplace sets up shop in Long Beach this weekend

Photo taken from Green Saturday LA Instagram account

Green Saturday LA, a seasonal vegan and cruelty free pop-up marketplace, will be arriving in Long Beach over the weekend.

The event gives an opportunity to purchase food and products from cruelty and vegan free vendors, when such items may not be available in most stores.

Green Saturday LA is coordinated and was co-founded by Downey resident Mary Medellin, who herself has been vegan for 11 years.

“One of my best friends…we attend a lot of vegan festivals and things like that,” said Medellin. “We noticed what was missing was these were food festivals, but everything else was left out. So we decided to do a marketplace instead, which kind of focuses on not just the food, but everything else as well.”

The marketplace is approaching its two-year anniversary in November.

The next Green Saturday LA event will take place this Saturday, August 26 at 755 Pine Avenue, in Long Beach. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, and it is encouraged that tickets be purchased ahead of time. Few tickets will be available at the door, purchasable with cash only.

It is Medellin’s hope to expand and reach even more locations, including possibly bringing the pop-up shop to Downey.

“There’s not really anything here vegan friendly in Downey, unfortunately,” said Medellin. “I find myself going to other cities, and I would love to be able to bring something like that here.”

For more information, visit greensaturdayla.com or check out the market’s various social media.