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Annual ThanksLiving Vegan Potluck

Annual ThanksLiving Vegan Potluck

by | Oct 6, 2026

Celebrate compassion, community, and delicious plant-based food at our ThanksLiving Vegan Potluck! Everyone is welcome – bring your friends, family, and your favorite vegan dish to share. Let’s make this season about connection and kindness to all.

What to Bring

Please bring a vegan dish (no meat, dairy, eggs, honey, etc.). To help ensure a great variety, below are suggested categories to help you choose what to bring:

Last Names:

  • A-J:  Dessert
  • K-R: Main dish or salad
  • S-Z: Side dish or appetizer (vegan mashed potatoes and gravy are always a hit!)

Got a favorite dish that doesn’t match your group? Feel free to bring it anyway! Looking for ideas? Here are 50 simple vegan Thanksgiving recipes. Don’t forget to bring an ingredient list to post so people with allergies know which dishes to avoid.

What to Expect

Aside from amazing food, ThanksLiving is all about community. Meet others through our fun icebreaker activities and enter to win raffle prizes. Learn about vegan eating and hear more about Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA). We’ll also have a kid-friendly table with coloring books, so bring the whole family!

Holiday roasts generously donated by our sponsor, The Herbivorous Butcher.

Why ThanksLiving?

Thanksgiving celebrations often overlook or distort the history of Indigenous communities. ThanksLiving is our way of coming together to honor a future rooted in respect—for each other, for animals, and for Indigenous peoples’ land rights. Consider using ingredients from Indigenous communities, like wild rice or maple syrup from the Indigenous Food Lab Market online store.

Getting There
  • Location: Matthews Park at 2318 29th Ave. S, Minneapolis, MN 55406
  • Parking: Free parking is available in a lot and on the street.
  • Transit: It is on the 7 and 9 bus routes.
Staying Safe

If you’re feeling unwell, please stay home so we can all stay healthy. Check out our Plant-Based Food Safety Guide for preparing your dish.

Volunteer with Us!

We’d love your help to make this event a success. Click below to sign up to help host this event with us. Scroll down the list to see opportunities for helping on the day of the event.

Get involved at other Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA) events!

Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA) hosts many events throughout the year, including Twin Cities Veg Fest, the Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge, the serving of free vegan lunches to those in need, the Vegan Recipe Club, cooking classes, potlucks, outreach events, and so much more!

We’ve got so many ways to connect with the community, enjoy vegan food, and make a difference. You can visit our volunteer page to see all the upcoming opportunities to help!

Standing With Our Community in the Midst of ICE Raids

Standing With Our Community in the Midst of ICE Raids

by | Dec 12, 2025 | Blog, Opinion, Organizations, People

Our mission to build a more compassionate world includes caring for the people who make our communities—and our movement—possible. Recent ICE activity in the Twin Cities has caused fear, harm, and disruption across neighborhoods and workplaces. People are staying home and not patronizing businesses out of fear. The impact is immediate and personal.

This week, one of our own staff members was detained. This was a terrifying, traumatizing, and unjustified action by immigration enforcement.

Rapid response: how our community can help:

  • Know your rights and share them: Review and circulate this guide. Make a plan with your family and coworkers. 
  • Support those targeted: Check in on neighbors, offer rides, childcare, and accompaniment to court or check-ins when requested.
  • Back trusted legal and community orgs: Local immigrant-led groups listed on this sheet below are coordinating assistance and need volunteers and donations. The sheet also had more family resources.
  • Call for accountability: Urge local officials and agencies to reject collaboration with immigration enforcement that harms community trust and safety.
  • Keep showing up: Our movement is strongest when we show up for each other—across causes, across communities.

We oppose all forms of state violence and discrimination that target people for who they are. The same values that guide our advocacy for farmed animals—compassion, solidarity, and a belief that every being deserves safety—guide us to share the resources above and support our community members and colleagues.

Annual ThanksLiving Vegan Potluck

Annual ThanksLiving Vegan Potluck

by | Sep 24, 2025

Celebrate compassion, community, and delicious plant-based food at our ThanksLiving Vegan Potluck! Everyone is welcome – bring your friends, family, and your favorite vegan dish to share. Let’s make this season about connection and kindness to all.

What to Bring

Please bring a vegan dish (no meat, dairy, eggs, honey, etc.). To help ensure a great variety, below is a suggested category for you to use in selecting what to bring:

Last Names:

  • A-J:  Main dish or salad
  • K-R: Side dish or appetizer (vegan mashed potatoes and gravy are always a hit!)
  • S-Z: Dessert

Got a favorite dish that doesn’t match your group? Feel free to bring it anyway! Looking for ideas? Here are 50 simple vegan Thanksgiving recipes. Don’t forget to bring an ingredient list to post for those with allergies to know which dishes they might need to avoid.

What to Expect

Aside from amazing food, ThanksLiving is all about community. Meet others through our fun icebreaker activities and enter to win raffle prizes. Learn about vegan eating and hear more about Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA). We’ll also have a kid-friendly table with coloring books, so bring the whole family!

Why ThanksLiving?

Thanksgiving celebrations often overlook or distort the history of indigenous communities. ThanksLiving is our way of coming together to honor a future rooted in respect—for each other, for animals, and for indigenous peoples’ land rights. Consider using ingredients from indigenous communities, like wild rice or maple syrup from the Indigenous Food Lab Market on Lake Street.

Getting There
  • Location: Matthews Park at 2318 29th Ave. S, Minneapolis, MN 55406
  • Parking: Free parking is available in a lot and on the street.
  • Transit: It is on the 7 and 9 bus routes.
Staying Safe

If you’re feeling unwell, please stay home so we can all stay healthy. Check out our Plant-Based Food Safety Guide for preparing your dish.

Volunteer with Us!

We’d love your help to make this event a success. Click below to sign up to help host this event with us. Scroll down the list to see opportunities for helping on the day of the event.

Get involved at other Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA) events!

Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA) hosts many events throughout the year, including Twin Cities Veg Fest, the Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge, the serving of free vegan lunches to those in need, the Vegan Recipe Club, cooking classes, potlucks, outreach events, and so much more!

We’ve got so many ways to connect with the community, enjoy vegan food, and make a difference. You can visit our volunteer page to see all the upcoming opportunities to help!

Outreach at Little Africa Festival

Outreach at Little Africa Festival

by | Jul 25, 2025

What is the Little Africa Festival?

The Little Africa Festival is in its 11th year celebrating and showcasing the vibrant culture and heritage of Africa and the local business and cultural district of Minnesota. The festival is hosted by African Economic Development Solutions (AEDS), a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering African immigrants and entrepreneurs through economic development, small business support, and cultural engagement. The festival kicks off at 12noon with a Parade of Nations featuring the rich cultures within African Communities. 

No volunteers are needed at this event.

Find us along the interior park paths; we welcome visitors and would love to see you come support this vibrant community! 

Get involved at other Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA) events!

Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA) hosts many events throughout the year, including Twin Cities Veg Fest, the Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge, Vegan Recipe Club, cooking classes, potlucks, outreach events, and so much more! If you can’t make this event, or just want to know about other opportunities to get involved with CAA, we’ve got so many ways to connect with the community, enjoy vegan food, and make a difference. Visit the Events page to learn more.

Vegan Recipe Club (Online) – November: Eat Well Be Well by Jana Cristofano

by | Nov 16, 2024

Join Us for the November Vegan Recipe Club!

When: Third Tuesday of the Month at 6:30 pm
Where: Online via Zoom (Meeting details below)

Curious about vegan cooking? This month, we’re diving into Eat Well Be Well by Jana Cristofano! Whether you’re an experienced cook or just starting out, everyone is welcome to join our Vegan Recipe Club. Each month, we make three recipes from a featured cookbook and share our thoughts and experiences with the group. No registration required—just join in and have fun!

This Month’s Recipes
  • Cauliflower “Egg” Salad (pg 58-59)
  • Brazilian “Cheese Bread” (Pão de Queijo) (pg 98-99)
  • Classic Sloppy Joes (pg 176-177)
Optional Bonus Recipes:
  • Zucchini Bread (pg 118-119)
  • Go Bold or Go Home Chili (pg 208-209)
  • Indulgent No Bake Truffle Bites (pg 234-235)

Download the recipes here and start cooking!

About the Cookbook

Eat Well Be Well is a 100% plant-based, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free cookbook that makes wellness easy and delicious. Jana Cristofano, founder of nutritionicity.com, shares how eliminating gluten, animal products, refined sugar, and unhealthy fats helped her heal from chronic ailments. The cookbook features mouthwatering, healthy versions of classic dishes with easy-to-follow instructions and allergy-friendly modifications.

How It Works
  • Download the Recipes: Grab the free recipes from the link above.
  • Try Cooking: Make one or more of the recipes during the month.
  • Join the Meeting: Share your thoughts, tips, and experiences with the group! Henry Patterson from Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA) facilitates our fun, engaging discussions.
Why Join the Vegan Recipe Club?

It’s all about exploring tasty, plant-based recipes that are great for your health, help the environment, and save animals. Plus, it’s a great way to connect with others who share a passion for vegan cooking!

Zoom Meeting Details

Join us on the third Tuesday of each month at 6:30 pm via Zoom. Join the meeting here:

Join Zoom Meeting, with passcode 467109
Or use the dial-in information: Meeting ID: 815 7424 7392 Passcode: 467109 Dial by your location: +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)

Questions?

If you have questions about the recipes or Vegan Recipe Club, reach out to us at info@exploreveg.org.

Past Recipes

Check out previous recipes from our Vegan Recipe Club here. (Note: Past recipes are currently unavailable due to technical issues. Check back later!)