‘I love uniting the community with like-minded people while spreading awareness about vegan lifestyle choices.’

David Lockworth Jr., Central Islip

“I decided to become a vegan eight years ago due to improve my health after watching documentaries about the meat industry. Being an animal lover also influenced my change of diet, and it is the best decision that I ever made. There are many benefits to having a vegan lifestyle: It’s very healthy, you’re reducing your carbon footprint, and you’re saving animals. Being a vegan affects your life and many other lives in the best possible way, but vegan options aren’t always readily available everywhere.

“When I first went vegan, I had to go into the city a lot to find the foods I wanted, and that’s how I first encountered a lot of vegan-centered markets. One day in 2019, I was stuck in traffic on my way home from the city when inspiration struck — I decided to start a vegan market that would travel all over Long Island. I used social media to drum up interest and secured 24 vendors for our first event, which was held at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Levittown in July 2020. Over 450 people showed up! Since then, we have flourished. We now have events all year long because, in the cold winter months, we find indoor venues. It’s been amazing to watch food vendors evolve; some have started with a booth and ended up with a food truck!

I decided to become a vegan eight years ago due to improve my health after watching documentaries about the meat industry.

“What Long Island Vegan Pop Up really offers is a sense of community. Long Island is so big. and it has such diversity in lifestyles, and yet this free market really brings everyone together. The vegan community is really supportive, but our events are not just for vegans — we have something for everyone of all ages. I always wanted the event to be about more than food, and we have partnerships with arts organizations like Islip Arts and Colored Colors. You can find handmade arts, crafts, clothes and even crystals at our events, which typically last over the course of a weekend, so two days. I still work full time at a job, but being the founder of the Long Island Vegan Pop Up is my passion. I love uniting the community with like-minded people while spreading awareness about vegan lifestyle choices.”

Interviewed by Meagan Meehan