Maryland Vegan Eats Restaurant Week returns Aug. 7 with Baltimore kickoff

Black Veg Society is bringing back Maryland Vegan Eats Restaurant Week from Aug. 7-16, 2026, with participating restaurants across Baltimore and central Maryland, a launch party in Downtown Baltimore, and a same-day 24-hour fundraising drive. The month also includes the 3rd Annual Children’s Veg Fest on Aug. 29, expanding the event’s focus from dining to community health and youth engagement.

Why it matters: - Maryland Vegan Eats Restaurant Week is designed to boost plant-based dining options across Baltimore and central Maryland. - The event also supports local restaurants, community health education, and BIPOC-focused wellness outreach. - August’s lineup ties food, fundraising, and family programming into one statewide campaign.

What happened: - Black Veg Society announced the return of its 19th Maryland Vegan Eats Restaurant Week for Friday, Aug. 7 through Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. - Vegan Grants is presenting the bi-annual festival. - Participating restaurants include The Land of Kush, Golden West Cafe, Miss Shirley’s, Oleum and Slutty Vegan. - The campaign begins with a kickoff party on Thursday, Aug. 6, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at The LB SkyBar atop the Lord Baltimore Hotel in Downtown Baltimore. - Admission to the launch party is free, with space limited to the first 200 RSVPs. - Friday, Aug. 7, is both the first day of Restaurant Week and a 24-hour CllctivGive fundraising drive. - The 3rd Annual Children’s Veg Fest is set for Saturday, Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Weinberg Y in Waverly. - A virtual program will follow on Sunday, Aug. 30.

The details: - Restaurant Week encourages participating restaurants to feature creative plant-based menu selections. - The event spotlights culinary talent across Baltimore’s historic neighborhoods and surrounding counties. - Organizers say the initiative is meant to encourage community unity while supporting health, sustainability and local food businesses. - CllctivGive is a 24-hour online fundraising campaign created to support Black-led social change organizations across Greater Baltimore. - Donations during the drive will support Black Veg Society’s work in holistic health, plant-based nutrition and compassionate living for Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities. - Children’s Veg Fest is presented by the Craigslist Charitable Fund. - The family event will include cooking demos, youth entrepreneur vendors, mindfulness activities, live music and wellness workshops. - The event is free.

Between the lines: - The August schedule shows Black Veg Society using food events as a broader organizing tool, not just a restaurant promotion. - Pairing a dining week with a fundraising window and a children’s festival broadens the audience from adults choosing menus to families, donors and community advocates. - The structure also keeps attention on plant-based eating as a health, culture and economic development issue.

What’s next: - Restaurants can register for Maryland Vegan Eats and diners can reserve tickets for the launch party and Children’s Veg Fest through the event websites. - Community members are being urged to donate during the Aug. 7 CllctivGive window. - Organizers will continue promoting participating restaurants throughout the Aug. 7-16 dining window and the Aug. 29 youth-focused festival. - More information is available at Maryland Vegan Eats, Children’s Veg Fest and the Black Veg Society CllctivGive page.

The bottom line: - Maryland Vegan Eats Restaurant Week is back with a broader August slate that links plant-based dining, community fundraising and youth programming across Baltimore and Maryland.