Not long ago, I took a dive into uncharted territory. After years of perfecting the art of the frozen chicken nugget dinner, I, an unapologetic meat lover, decided to become a vegan. It was a challenging, exciting and glorious 24 hours, and at the end of it, I learned a valuable lesson: I like corn dogs too much to be vegan. If only I had Fortress Fest in my life back then.
This year, the Fest I’ve lovingly dubbed Cowchella will support non-animal-eaters with the Vegan Village, a food court dedicated to a vegan offerings, including all-vegan corn dogs from The Corn Dog Guy. All of Fortress Fest’s Vegan Village vendors are based in North Texas, and each was handpicked by Amy McNutt and James Johnston, the powerful plant-loving duo behind Fort Worth’s Spiral Diner. Besides The Corn Dog Guy, the tofu crowd can choose from Reverie Bakeshop, Vegan Vibrationz, and the aforementioned Spiral Dinner, known for vegan comfort food inspired by the Lone Star State. That means chili, Frito pies, chicken nachos, and even burgers will all be available in the, which is just one facet of the fest’s fine dining options.
Tacos, tortillas, cupcakes and more will also be hand, thanks to a menu exclusively curated for the Fest by local eatery Righteous Foods. Other local faves like Avoca Coffee Roasters, Melt Ice Creams (also vegan, by the way), and Salsa Limón will be available as you quench your thirst and cleanse your palate. But if you’re feeling like you don’t want to be weighed down by the souls of dead animals, now you’ve got options.
I’ve combed the web for any shred of evidence that another fest offers something close or comparable to the Vegan Village, and I came up empty-handed. You’ll find plenty of guides on how to “prepare” for a fest’s feast as a vegan or vegetarian, but far fewer vegan dining options. It appears that no other festival has gone to great lengths to offer the kind of options now available at Fortress Fest, which is all the more reason to check out the event. I, for one will be walking into the fest and heading straight for those vegan corn dogs. Maybe this foray into meatless food will last longer than 24 hours.
