Wealthy Street Rocks, Vegan Style!
Thanks to Square Inch Community, you don’t have to wait until Wake Up Weekend 2013 to get into that vegan festival spirit! Beginning this afternoon at 4pm, Inch Fest is taking over Wealthy Street–or at least the vacant lot across from The Sparrows–bringing music, justice, and vegan goodness to the streets.

Catch the Best of the Midwest On Stage from 4-9pm!
Local favorites The Soil and the Sun, Ghost Heart, and others join Chicago’s Cains and Abels for one of the best line-ups of the summer. While you’re taking in their sonic alchemy, enjoy some homemade vegan treats made with love by Square Inchers, browse booths staffed by good folks from some of our fair city’s most engaged justice initiatives, including Safe Haven Ministries and Michigan Abolitionist Project, and learn more about Square Inch Community in a limited edition zine printed by Wake Up Weekend’s very own Adam Wolpa. For more information, visit Inch Fest’s Facebook event page and join in the party!

Support this revolutionary partnership and get some terrific perks for your effort!
One of the most exciting features of Wake Up Weekend is the annual opportunity to show the world all the shining vegan gems in the Grand Rapids crown. I, for one, would like to have a package-free, bulk vegan grocery store in the mix in time for Wake Up Weekend 2013, wouldn’t you? Just ten days left to throw our support behind this terrific collaboration between Tree Huggers and Bartertown to bring this radical idea to fruition in our fair city! Visit their Kickstarter Page and donate now!

Leading cognitive ethologist and author to visit Calvin and Grand Valley State
Wake Up Weekend 2012 may be history, but that won’t stop the best and brightest animal advocates in America from dropping in on our fair city. I’ll never forget the day I first became familiar with Jonathan Balcombe’s work. It was March 16, 2010, and I was in the car listening to this interview with Jonathan on the Diane Rehm Show. I joined the interview already in progress and after a few minutes of hearing him speak, I distinctly recall being on pins and needles to learn the name of the man whom I had already decided, in just 180 seconds, was the most warm, inviting, knowledgeable and articulate animal advocate I had ever heard. After arriving at my destination, I sat in the car for a full half hour, unable to tear myself away, and then made a beeline to the nearest computer to order Second Nature: The Inner Lives of Animals, his newest book at the time. Since then, I have added Pleasurable Kingdom: Animals and the Nature of Feeling Good and The Exultant Ark: A Pictorial Tour of Animal Pleasure to my collection, listened to every interview I can find, and dreamed of the day that he would bring his formidable talents to Grand Rapids. That day is February 20! And don’t miss his talk on February 21st at GVSU! Book-signings follow both events!

HSUS President and CEO Discusses the Human/Animal Bond at Calvin College
In case you missed Wayne Pacelle’s talk at Calvin College during Wake Up Weekend 2012, you can stream it above or send the Vimeo link to friends and family. Also, feel free to check out and share all the media coverage of Wayne’s visit, including his radio interviews with WGVU and WMUK, a critical appraisal of HSUS in the Kalamazoo Gazette and a reply to it from Pacelle, and these write-ups in The Rapidian, The Grand Rapids Press, and Exploits of a Vegan Wannabe. Thanks so much again to Wayne Pacelle, HSUS Michigan State Director Jill Fritz, The Humane Society of the United States, and Calvin Center For Christian Scholarship for this terrific opportunity!

Three Extraordinary Chilis Take Top Honors
With a lucky thirteen chilis in the running this year, Wake Up Weekend Vegan Chili Cookoff judges Bryant Terry, Emily Richett, Brett Colley, and Lisa Van Arragon had their work cut out for them. Three chilis in particular got their special attention (and yours!). And the winners are…

Smokehouse Vegan Chili Cleans Up!
Holy Smokehouse! This chili raked in the accolades, with first place finishes in the Best Overall and Chef’s Choice categories, and a second place finish for People’s Choice. Laura Mulder walked away with better than half of this year’s terrific prize packages, including a Tofurky Lunchbox stuffed with VIP coupons for Tofurky pizzas and Go Max Go Candy Bars, a primo Field Roast swag bundle with a t-shirt and vouchers for their delectable vegan sausages, and an autographed copy of Bryant Terry’s The Inspired Vegan. Congratulations, Laura! Next year’s competitors can all be glad that you’ll be at the judge’s table in 2013!

Uncle Gus’s Chili and Ethiopian Spice Chili in the Spotlight!
When the beans were counted, Jill Martindale and B. Money’s “Uncle Gus’s Chili” emerged victorious as The People’s Choice, sending them home with his-n-hers Field Roast t-shirts and some dynamite product. As for this year’s cutting edge, Emily Helmus’ “Ethiopian Spice” was awarded the prize for Most Innovative, earning her a swank basket of goodies from Alternative Baking Company; the fame of this chili has spread so far and wide that there is a whole newspaper article devoted to it!

Wake Up Weekend Through the Lens of a Photographic Genius
If you were paying attention this year, you may have noticed the presence of one Michael Robert Newsted–on stage, in the crowd, behind the scenes–anywhere a glimmer of the soul of Wake Up Weekend might shine forth from the fray. Just look at what he managed to set free from our events in this captivating Wake Up Weekend photo set on his blog. Michael was kind enough to donate his time and formidable talent to our cause. Let’s reward his generosity by supporting his artistic and musical endeavors. Thanks so much, Michael, for the investment of your insight into our events! If what we do as a community of Wake Up Weekenders is even half as beautiful and inspiring as you make it look, a revolution is afoot!

When Emily Richett is on the beat, people tune in. That’s why we couldn’t be more grateful to Emily and her Fox17 Morning News Team for generously devoting 15 minutes of their morning show to four different spots highlighting various aspects of Wake Up Weekend. Tune in to Emily’s video feed to watch Wake Up Weekenders making breakfast, talking up our terrific speakers and the KINSHIP Art Exhibition, eating tofu scramble with fresh chia pudding that we demoed in an earlier segment, and attempting in vain to summarize all of our many exciting events in one final round-up spot! Visit Emily’s Facebook Fan Page and tell her you love her. But don’t get too chatty, especially if you’re entering a chili; Emily’s a judge this year and flattery will get you nowhere. It all starts tonight at 7:30 pm with Wayne Pacelle! Let’s do this!