The first annual Ukiah VegFest will be Sunday, March 16, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Saturday Afternoon Club, 107 S. Oak Street in Ukiah, California. The event will offer tasting of a wide variety of vegetarian foods, as well as information booths, animal-friendly products from local businesses and organizations, a raffle, music and dance performances, and an exciting list of guest speakers. Admission to the event is free, with free food samples as well as tastings for $1 to $2. Purchase food tickets at the door, or buy them in advance and get a free raffle ticket at Ukiah Natural Foods, Mendocino Book Company, and Mulligan Books in Ukiah, and at the Goods’ Stamp Shoppe in Willits.

A highlight of the event will be a showing at 2 p.m. of the film The Mad Cowboy, a documentary about Howard Lyman, a fourth-generation cattle rancher who won’t eat meat. Mr. Lyman, a warm-hearted and dynamic speaker, will be on hand to give a live presentation after the film. Other speakers include:

• Cliff Paulin, founder of Greater Ukiah Localization Project;
• Katy Sommers, D.V.M., holistic veterinarian and co-author of The Complete Holistic Dog Book;
• Rev. Heng Sure, Ph.D., director of the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery, lecturer at the Institute of World Religions, and accomplished musician and guitarist;
• Jan Allegretti, consultant in holistic health care for animals, co-author of The Complete Holistic Dog Book and author of Listen to the Silence.

Ukiah VegFest is presented by CARE: Compassion for Animals, Respect for the Earth, Mendocino County’s newest animal advocacy organization. The event is inspired by the Great American Meatout, the world's largest and oldest annual grassroots diet education campaign, held throughout the United States every spring. Sponsors include Ukiah Natural Foods, Creative Workshop, the Mendocino Environmental Center, In Defense of Animals, Tzu Chi Foundation, and Dharma Realm Buddhist Association.

For additional information email CAREmendocino@gmail.com or call (707) 468-3896.

Howard Lyman the Mad Cowboy