Open the Cages Alliance organizes many public events in the Baltimore and Washington, DC areas to help animals and encourage compassion, including leafleting, conferences, protests, fundraisers, feed-ins, vegan bake sales, and festivals. Here is a look at some of our current and upcoming efforts:

Vegan Pledge Program

Open the Cages Alliance is proud to announce the completion of our first Baltimore Vegan Pledge Program, which ran from February - March 2011!  The Vegan Pledge Program was brought to the U.S. from the U.K. by our friends at Peace Advocacy Network in Philadelphia.  Participants in the Baltimore Vegan Pledge Program pledged to live vegan for the duration of this free, month-long educational program (and hopefully longer!).  Each “pledge” was paired with a vegan mentor who has been vegan for a year or more, to provide one-on-one advice and support.  OTCA held weekly meetings focused on different aspects of vegan living.  This year’s programming included a vegan nutrition presentation by registered dietician Mark Rifkin, a vegan ingredient presentation by long-time activist and Farm Sanctuary volunteer Jamie Cohen, a cooking demonstration from We Call It Love Cafe, and a field trip to Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary.

Click here to learn more!

Open the Cages Conference

Info coming soon...

Vegtoberfest

The 1st Annual Vegtoberfest is a FREE fall festival to celebrate healthy, sustainable and compassionate food choices and lifestyles.

Vegtoberfest will be held at Riverside Park, 1800 Covington Street, Baltimore, MD from 12:00-5:00pm on Sunday, October 9, 2011.

Featuring:
• Live Music & Performers • Speakers • Chili & Tofu Scramble Cookoffs • Delicious Vegan Food
• Exhibitors • Children's Activities • Leashed companion animals welcome (non-retractable leashes only, no longer than 6').

Speakers:
Karen Davis, President of United Poultry Concerns
"Sister Vegetarian" Donna M. Beaudoin, author and vegan blogger

Performers: 
The McTell Brothers, Margot MacDonald, Ron Kipling Williams, Bravenoise, Jamie & the Magic Torch

Visit the official Vegtoberfest website!

 

Outreach Events

OTCA frequently holds leafleting and other outreach events to spread the word about compassionate, vegan lifestyles. We hold monthly vegan bake sales and table at festivals and other public events during the warmer months, distributing free information and resources. We also leaflet at concerts and other events. When the circus or rodeo comes to town, we demonstrate on the behalf of animals used by these traveling acts. We also distribute information about the intrinsic worth of animals' lives, and the tragedy of their oppression by these industries.

Publishing

Open the Cages Alliance, with our friends at Defending Animal Rights Today and Tomorrow, has produced informational literature for use at animal advocacy events and in other educational settings. Our Fashion Is Not Worth Dying For brochure (downloadable version coming soon) details the exploitative practices of the fur, wool, down, silk and leather industries, and suggests specific vegan alternatives to buying and wearing these products. These brochures are distributed at demonstrations for fur-bearers during the winter months, and at tabling events throughout the year.

OTCA and DARTT have also produced a leaflet called The Truth About Animals in Entertainment, (downloadable version coming soon), which contains information about animal circuses, aquariums, zoos, horse racing and dog racing, and suggests fun, family-friendly alternatives to using animals for entertainment. These leaflets are used at our demonstrations for animals used by Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus, at Pro Bull Riders protests, and at tabling events.

Open the Cages Alliance's Replacing Eggs and Dairy leaflet (downloadable version coming soon) outlines problems with the egg and dairy industries from an ethical standpoint, and suggests a number of delicious vegan alternatives to eggs and dairy in cooking and baking. This brochure is distributed at our vegan bake sales and tabling events, and at our feed-ins where we hand out free vegan baked goodies. We hope you will help us distribute these materials at our events, and/or download and use these materials in your organizing for animals.

 

If you would like to volunteer for any of our events, or would like more information, please get in touch with us by email at info@openthecages.org, by phone at 443-478-3074, or fill out our volunteer form. Thank you!