Backyard BBQ’s and booze… that’s how the majority of our friends spent this 4th of July.

This year we decided to check out the Bay Area Vegetarian’s annual potluck/picnic at Montara State Beach. It’s located on the San Francisco Peninsula in San Mateo County, approximately 20 miles south of San Francisco. The beach is about eight miles north of Half Moon Bay on Highway 1.

We were excited about the opportunity to connect with like-minded people while enjoying a day in the sun and chowin‘ down on some amazing homemade vegan food. They ask that you RSVP, bring your own reusable utensils and there is even a carpool option for the sake of the environment.

Everyone was welcome, both veg & non-veg, as long as each person was open-minded and brought a vegan dish to share. Guests were all ages, races, sizes and had different backgrounds. Tammy, the event organizer, was very welcoming and a great hostess. We thought it was kinda cute watching her run around playing match maker with people who had things in common.

The event started around 1pm and everyone was digging in by 1:30. There was a variety of foods that included pasta, rice and grain dishes, salsas, marinated tofu, salad, bread, cupcakes and a ton of veggies. I’m still not quite sure how our plates withstood the giant mound of food we manged to pile on top of them.

After stuffing our faces, we kicked back on our blanket and watched the kids and the dogs play in the sand for a while. There was a volleyball game going on a few feet away, a couple people playing Frisbee, a couple surfers in the group and of course people building sand castles and meandering along the shoreline.

After a couple hours of chatting and a quick dip in the water, we decided to pack it up and get going. We said our goodbye’s and left with a handful of great vegan tips, some new contacts and a full belly. Not a bad way to spend the day.

While it was an awesome event for anybody, I would definitely recommend those who are thinking about going veg to check this out next year. It’s a great way to introduce yourself to some people in the vegan community and get some tips and input while trying a variety of awesome vegan foods. Best of all, it’s FREE!

Once again, we tip our hats to another successful Bay Area Vegetarian event and can’t wait for the next one!