Upcoming Events

 INVSOC is in Hiatus at the moment, please check our Facebook page for updates 

We’d love if everyone could be at the potluck on time, at 6:30pm, with everything served up hot and ready to start at 6:30pm.

We’d greatly appreciate a donation towards venue hire and costs.

Our Invercargill Vegan Society potluck dinners are held on the first wednesday of each month.  You are most welcome to join in the fun :-)

*** Please bring vegan food to share, and a plate/cutlery/serving utensil for your shared food. ***

We’d love to see you at our next monthly potluck, email or txt 021 0222 5027 for more details

Check out our potlucks via video!  This clip shows the venue, animal rights supporters, great vegan food, and a rather cute Isla! :-)

Vegan food is animal friendly, fresh, colourful and delicious.  Click the photos below to see more details from each months potluck

Click to see photos from our latest potlucks.  Photos from each and every dinner event can be found on our Potluck page :-)

Usually 20-30 people, bring a plate/cutlery for yourself, and Vegan food to share :-)  If you are Vegan, Vegetarian or interested in trying a Vegan meal, we would love to include you at our next potluck.  RSVP, we’ll gladly hold a spot for you :-)

Seventh Day Adventist Vegan Cooking Classes

The classes have finished, but will resume again soon.  We’ll share full details when the cooking class starts again :-)

Free Vegan cooking classes held 3pm-5pm each Sunday at 109 Wicklow Street, Clifton (just south of the Hospital) 

The Seventh Day Adventist religion is Christian, they have a long history of being Vegetarian.  Everyone is welcome at the class, many INVSOC members are non religious and we are not directly affiliated with the cooking classes.  Adventists and Atheists alike, we have a great time at their church hall each sunday :-)   The classes share healthy, fun Vegan recipes and we really appreciate their hard work! :-)

Click to see photos of the Adventist Vegan Cooking classes

Green Drinks, held monthly

Held on the last Thursday of each month, at the non Veganly named Zookeepers cafe on Tay Street, 5:30pm upstairs.  Green Drinks is a great place to talk about environmental issues and make new friends :-)  Topics often include endangered species, energy efficiency, renewable energy, politics, veganism and sustainability.

Green Drinks Invercargill Facebook group

 

Previous (Non Potluck) Events

Liv Goes Vegan “The Hits Southland”

Liv from The Hits Southland is going vegan! Due to spinning the wheel of “mis”fortune” and landing on vegan, Liv gets to be animal friendly vegan for a whole week, woohoo!

Haha, Invercargill Vegan Society founder Jordan joined James and Liv in studio, to talk about going vegan for a dare/2007 New Year’s Resolution, and sticking with it for life – both your life, and for the animal’s lives :-) Bringing in banana chocolate chip muffins to share, we joked that there was “nothing from a nipple or a bum!”

 Click to check out the full “The Hits Southland” video interview

NZAVS + James Aspey “Stop Otago Animal Labs” March

Invercargill Vegan Society activists Jordan and Ixia joined a NZAVS Stop Otago Animal Labs protest march in Dunedin. With renowned speakers like Tara Jackson leading the campaign, and visiting Australian vegan activist James Aspey, we marched from the proposed site of the new $50 million dollar animal experimentation lab, to the current animal testing Hercus Building.

Notably, the top floor windows are entirely whited out (for privacy?), and caught on video, during the march, someone from inside the facility hurled down a tennis ball at us!

Click to check out our full video of the NZAVS + James Aspey march

VEGANtines Day 2017

Happy VEGANtines Day!   With hydrangeas from our garden, have a heart for animals on this, the day of “the birds and the bees”.  We headed downtown with hydrangeas and Fair Trade chocolate, sharing the Vegantines Day love.  Check out our video, we had a great time :-)

Click to see our Vegantines Day 2017 video and mayhem

Vegan “Pork Pie” 

“We’re taking this bloody car to Invercargill!”  Beloved New Zealand film “Goodbye Pork Pie” has been remade, and to a fully vegan recipe?  “Pork Pie” stars a vegan activist main character, and a TONNE of Animal Rights messages!  Incredible, check out our Invercargill Premiere coverage and our fun ad for “giving up” eating pigs!

Click to see our “Pork Pie” behind the scenes access premiere coverage and review

Queenstown Community Eco Fair 2016 

Combining forces with Sea Shepherd, INVSOC ran a vegan BBQ at the inaugural Queenstown Community Eco Fair. Arriving soon after the Farmwatch dairy cruelty expose had launched, we were inundated with demand for tasty, animal friendly snacks.

Click to check out our Queenstown Community Eco Fair photos and video

World Vegan Day 2016 

HAPPY WORLD VEGAN DAY! Invercargill Vegan Society members slapped up posters around our fair city, gave out World Vegan Day awards to vegan friendly local businesses……and partied like hurting animals is going out of style!

Check out our great video of our World Vegan Day 2016 activism

Here’s to the continued growth of veganism animal rights, towards a world of love and respect for our animal friends.

 

Click to check out our World Vegan Day photos and video

SIT O Week 2016 Market Day

Armed with Go Vegan starter kits and animal approved baking, INVSOC volunteers had a great time discussing rights and respect for our animal friends.  Many students came up to learn about veganism.

Among those interested, Jordan and Jenny’s ex-neighbour! Amy rescues animals, and said how veganism just made sense for her, as an animal lover. We couldn’t agree more!

Click to check out SIT O Week 2016 Market Day

People’s Climate March 2015

The Invercargill Vegan Society joined Invercargill rally for the People’s Climate March 2015.  Among about 80 environmental protectors, we linked the relationship between agriculture emitting 48% of New Zealand’s greenhouse gases.  With a diversified economy, with less animals being harmed, with more animal rights supporters buying vegan products….we have a greatly reduced impact on our environment.

We met Kawinwit for the first time in person.  A really great young man, he had first found out about the Invercargill Vegan Society through seeing a photo of INVSOC founder Jordan, marching behind a DeLorean “time machine”, holding a bright pink hoverboard!  Full details on our People’s Climate March 2015 page :-)

Click to check out the People’s Climate March 2015

Southland Santa Parade 2015

INVSOC and The Vegan Kiwi entered the Southland Santa Parade with a DeLorean, and a message of a positive tomorrow.  In our deeds and actions, we can all “brighten the future” for animals in need.  Carrying a pink hoverboard, vegan activists wished everyone a merry christmas, for respect and kindness to all.

Click to check out the Southland Santa Parade 2015

Invercargill Eco Festival 2015

INVSOC activists Jordan, Jen and Diana had a great time at the Invercargill Eco Festival 2015. Our stall focused on animal rights, respect for our nonhuman friends, and sustainability for the planet we all share.

Along the way, we met some VERY cool people, with amazing stories!

Kathy, who grew up on a dairy farm, who didn’t much care for “Jesus” hurting bobby calves!  Jo, a vegan we coincidentally met at Subway!  Alan, who didn’t entirely agree about animal rights, but wished us very well: “thanks for your love for animals”.

Click to check out the Invercargill Eco Festival 2015, and the amazing people we met!

World Vegan Day 1 November 2015

For once we’re NOT the southernmost vegans in the world!  On World Vegan Day 2015, two vegan scientists were located at Scott Base, Antarctica :-)  Inga and Sophie sent in a photo, wishing us all happy World Vegan Day.

3500 kilometres to the north, Invercargill Vegan Society members plastered our city with posters, a library display, and a newspaper article.  We gave vegan awards to supportive businesses, held a picnic…..AND with Queens Park muffin giveaways.  We really enjoyed celebrating World Vegan Day, raising awareness of respect for our animal friends.

Click to see our World Vegan Day 1 November 2015 events

October 21 2015 “Back to the Future day”

The Invercargill Vegan Society and The Vegan Kiwi celebrated “Back to the Future day”.   80’s scifi classic “Back to the Future part II” predicted October 21 2015 would be the date our heroes Doc and Marty travelled to the future in their DeLorean sportscar.

We celebrated with The Vegan Kiwi’s DeLorean, with an opinion piece in “The Southland Times”, “3 News”, Stuff and the “Southland Express”.  We made a case that we can all “brighten the future” for animals in need.

We look forward to entering the Southland Santa Parade this November with the DeLorean :-)

Click to check out our “Back to the Future day” Opinion Piece and DeLorean

Dunedin Animal Rights Skillshare 2015

Invercargill Vegan Society (INVSOC) coordinators Jordan and Jen attended the southernmost skillshare workshop for animal rights activists.  We closed the event with our presentation on vegan advocacy.   Among other highlights: the humorous things little boys draw in chalk, rooftop propaganda, getting confused in the soymilk aisle, and Carl Scott’s animal rights history, now housing firewood.

Click to check out the inspiring Dunedin Animal Rights Skillshare 2015

Christchurch Vegan Adventure 2015

My grandmother always used to say, Jordan, nobody wants to see your terrible photos.

Nah, not really, she was….IS a nudist feminist pescetarian who told me as a little boy to smash the windows of parked cars, if I saw a dog inside suffering heat exhaustion! 

Click to check out our incredible Christchurch Vegan Adventure 2015

My grandmother is pretty amazing, and so is Christchurch, the undisputed vegetarian capital of New Zealand.  It’s frankly incredible what they’ve got in CHCH.  You name it –  DeLoreans, intersectional vegan activists, shiny new bicycles, the force of nature that we call Yolanda Soryl….they’ve got it!   Jen had a vivisection blast from the past, we rescued hedgehogs crossing the highway in broad daylight and butterflies in peril.  Don’t forget the block of polystyrene I fished….OOPS, I mean “TOFU-ed”, out of an Ashburton creek with my grandmother’s walking stick!

These far-too-many photos fall short of fully praising Christchurch.  Our “Garden City”!   The Vegetarian capital!  The birthplace of democracy and enabler of dreams!  But dammit, I’ve tried to do Grand-ma-ma proud.  To put it bluntly, Christchurch rocks.

INVSOC Presents: Dr Tobias Linné 

In April 2015, we were visited by visiting Swedish sociologist Dr Tobias Linné.  With over 10% of the Swedish people identifying as vegan or vegetarian, we have much to learn from the Swedes!  Tobias was warm, friendly and very humble.  We discussed intersectional theory, of working together against all forms of oppression (racism, sexism, speciesism towards other animals…)

Tobias loved our Welcome to Invercargill sign, AND also posed with a Southland swede, the vegetable! :-)

Click to learn from Dr Tobias Linné, Swedish sociologist extraordinaire

Surf to City 2015 funrun 

Invercargill Vegan Society members Jordan, Hannah and Dan rode the “Surf to City” 2015 funrun.  Oreti Beach surf, to Queens Park city, it’s 12 kilometres of awesome!

Quadcopters and our very own YouTube Star, a cold 8 am start with Deep Purple-esuqe mist on the estuary.  By mid afternoon, we had nearly-cloudless blue skies and mid 20s temperatures.  Go INVSOC Team Vegan!

Click to check out the Surf to City 2015 funrun

SIT O Week 2015 Market Day

The Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) 2015 Orientation Week Market Day (phew!) was great fun.  INVSOC members Jordan and Jen enjoyed talking about a vegan lifestyle with students.

With baked giveaways from Russell, Noelle and Narnia, we hope to have made a good impression for life without using other animals.  We shared ~60 cookies, a dozen scones, a few dozen INVSOC cards……and a sense of fun “World Famous in New Zealand” kiwiana pop culture!

Click to check out SIT’s Orientation Week 2015 Market Day event

Slaughterhouse Worker’s False Teeth, Dairy Protesting Neighbours

Here are two fun stories involving vegan activism, a slaughterhouse worker’s false teeth, and a neighbour at war with the sheep’s milk dairy factory next door!  And they all hinge around one concrete utility box in South Invercargill…

Click to to read about false teeth, and a neighbourhood sheep’s milk dairy protest

Tesla Model S Electric Car Roadtrip

The “Leading the Charge” electric roadtrip visiting Invercargill.  INVSOC members Jordan and Jen were keen to help co-ordinate local events, with many vegans interested in the cars performance and sustainability.  Electric cars are not only fast, quiet, cheap to run and outright futuristic, but also emit less pollution.

The Tesla Model S is a luxury electric car, and can be quite vegan friendly!  We enjoyed our time with the roadtrip, sharing an animal friendly vegan message alongside the eco cars.

Click to check out the Tesla Model S Electric Car Roadtrip

 

2015 New Year’s Resolution Giveaways

Invercargill Vegan Society members Jordan, Jen, Hannah, Erin promoted veganism as a great 2015 New Year’s Resolution.  We were joined by Erin’s cute twin daughters Lizzie and Charlotte, who helped us give out fruit mince pies and chocolate santas downtown :-)  We also rang into national radioshows, encouraging a vegan lifestyle.  2015: year of the vegan? :-)

Click to check out our 2015 New Year’s Resolution giveaways downtown

Southland Santa Parade 2014

Invercargill Vegan Society members had a great time meeting a gold medalist vegan bodybuilder, and entering the annual Santa Parade!

Click to check out our World Vegan Day 1st November activism

World Vegan Day 1st November

The 70th anniversary of Veganism, the vegan capital of New Zealand celebrated in style!

We unveiled public artwork “Peace of Chicken” in Queens Park, had street giveaways, library displays about a vegan lifestyle…..a potluck, posters around Invercargill, a mention on The Paul Henry Show and CUE TV news…..AND a wedding :-)

Click to check out our World Vegan Day 1st November activism

Invercargill Eco Festival 2014

 Invercargill Vegan Society activists Jordan, Jen and Steph had a great time at the Invercargill Eco Festival 2014.

Our vegan stall focused one how an animal friendly vegan lifestyle, living without harming or using other animals *also* has less impact on our environment.  We screened new documentary “Cowspiracy” and highlighted the impact of animal industries on Southland’s environment.

Click to see our Invercargill Eco Festival 2014 photos

2014 Southland Festival of Running

Star runner Julie Gunn and her brother entered the “Southland Festival of Running”.  Representing INVSOC Team Vegan, Julie did a fantastic job, worthy of the late great Kate Hen :-)

Click to see Julie in the “Southland Festival of Running”

Invercargill Library “Hot Seat”

Jen ran a “Hot Seat” table at the library, explaining Veganism and why so many Invercargill folk are going Vegan all of a sudden :-)

Click to see Jen’s Hot Seat display at the Invercargill City Library

Jane Goodall Hen Rescue!

Invercargill Vegan Society members travelled to Otago, where we presented Dr Jane Goodall with an award, and helped rescue hundreds of hens from an egg farm!  For INVSOC member Jen who has travelled through Africa, it was a dream come true to meet a hero :-)  We were also able to help another hero of ours, Tayla O’Driscoll rescue hundreds of hens from certain death.

Click to see our meeting with Dr Jane Goodall, and the rescue of 465 hens

May Day Health and Disability Expo 2014

Out of 67 exhibitors, the Invercargill Vegan Society won Best Stall at the DRC Health and Disability Expo 2014!  INVSOC animal advocates Jordan and Jen had a great time promoting Veganism, helping animals and showing “Forks over Knives”.

Independent judge Angela Newell of “Venture Southland” noted we were “…full of enthusiasm, innovative and bright green with passion for animals”.  We can’t wait to go back bigger and better for the next event, thank you all for your support :-)

Click to see our DRC Health and Disability Expo 2014 photos

Easter 2014 Chocolate Giveaway

Invercargill Vegan Society members gave out vegan Easter Bunny chocolates on the street.  We visited the Invercargill City Council to meet Mayor Tim Shadbolt, and stopped by Hell Pizza who were selling a rabbit flesh pizza for the Easter season.  We thanked them for the great Vegan “Sinister” pizza, and told them how we look forward to the day ALL their pizzas are as awesome!  The manager thought our activism was clever, and had a laugh with us.

We gave out chocolates to many vegetarians, dairy free and “entirely Non Vegan” people interested in finding out more :-)

Click to see our Easter 2014 Chocolate Giveaway

Auckland 2014 Will Tuttle Tour

From Queenstown’s “Holier than Thou” Fergburger, to Auckland Vegan’s potluck, join Jordan and Jen as we jaunt across the country exploring vegan events!

“World Peace Diet” author Will Tuttle’s workshop, a gay pride parade, the inaugural Chicken Appreciators Group meeting and rebelliously getting busted for chalking “go vegan” in Aotea Square!

Add a dash of Lamborghini lust, appreciation of pigeons and our deep admiration for grassroots vegan activists across New Zealand. This is only a small fraction of the fun we had on vacation :-)

Click to see our Auckland Will Tuttle Tour 2014 photos

SIT Orientation Week 2014 Market Day

Invercargill Vegan Society members attended the Southern Institute of Technology’s Orientation Week Market Day.  We had a lovely time giving out vegan date scones with strawberry jam and pear cream!  Students enjoyed learning about veganism, of helping animals.  Check out the smiles :-)

Click to see photos from SIT’s Orientation Week Market Day 2014

Surf to City Funrun 2014

Go INVSOC Team Vegan! We had a great time cycling in “Surf to City” 2014! We posed with our Vegan banner in front of a Rodeo sign, beat the Fonterra dairy monopoly cyclists and enjoyed the scenery :-)

Click to see our photos from Surf to City 2014

Chalk is Cheap streetart

For Summer 2014, the Invercargill Vegan Society street team has been doodling with chalk around the city.  We’ve had great pedestrian response, with people recognising our letters to The Southland Times and encouraging us for “standing up for what we believe in”.  We also had a run in with some pre-teen hoodlums on their school holiday.  We gave them a couple pieces of chalk….and you’ll never guess what they drew!  Luckily, we edited it into a pro-animals message :-)

Click to see Chalk is Cheap streetart

South Alive Community Garden 

The Invercargill Vegan Society has a plot at the South Alive Community Garden!  Bright red, our garden is located next to the toolshed.  Visit next time you’re in South City, it’s turning into a beautiful place to relax :-)

Click to see our South Alive Community Garden plot

Southland Times Vegan New Years Resolution

On December 30th 2013, “The Southland Times” newspaper published a Vegan opinion piece!  Invercargill Vegan Society members Jordan and Steph shared how new years resolutions led them to be vegan animal advocates.

Thank you very much to The Southland Times for featuring a pro-animal message :-)  We hope readers will consider going vegan for the animals in 2014.

Click to see our “Go Vegan for all the animals in 2014” Southland Times opinion piece

Southland Santa Parade 2013

Invercargill Vegan Society members marched in the Southland Santa Parade 2013.  Over 20,000 people attended!  We had a lovely time getting the vegan message seen, and giving away vegan santa chocolate on the streets of Invercargill.  We even won a prize!

Click to see photos from the Southland Santa Parade 2013

World Vegan Day 2013

1st of November marks World Vegan Day, and INVSOC always loves to celebrate a great vegan holiday!  This year, we gave away baking on Esk Street and Wachner Place, gave vegan sausages to butchers, were seen on TV, thanked Vegan friendly businesses……AND had a great potluck!

Click to see photos from World Vegan Day 2013

Eco Show 2013

Jordan, Jenny, Russell, Lindsay and George attended Transition Towns Invercargill Eco Festival 2013 on the October 20th.  We had a great time giving presentations about veganism, and sharing muffins :-)

Click to see photos from Eco Show 2013

Aotearoa Animal Rights Conference 2013

Jordan and Jenny flew up to Wellington for this years National Animal Rights Conference.  We attended a petition handover at parliament with our “Go Vegan For All The Animals” signs and marched through the streets of Auckland :-)  We met Vegan inspirations Philip Wollen, Will Potter, Jessie Hume, Michael Hitchcock, Carl Scott……and hundreds of others!!! :-)

Click to see the Aotearoa Animal Rights Conference 2013 in Wellington, plus a visit to Auckland

Giving out Soymilk on the Streets of Invercargill

Dairy monopoly Fonterra currently give out cows milk to primary school students in class.  Recently they started handing out samples on the streets of Invercargill.  Well, we at the Invercargill Vegan Society are not going to take that lying down! :-)  We decided to beat them at their own game, by handing out samples of flavoured Vitasoy soymilk!  We went up and down the innercity, Queens Park and the Otepuni Gardens.  Veganism and soymilk were well received with people appreciating our sense of humour :-)

 Click to see photos of our Soymilk distribution adventures!

“Welcome To Invercargill” Vegan sign

The Lions Club have a large signboard welcoming visitors to Invercargill near the Tay Street/Queens Drive intersection.  The Invercargill Vegan Society received permission to advertise our monthly Vegan potluck!  Our sign is highly visible, and will serve to further mainstream Veganism in Invercargill :-)

Click to see photos of our “Welcome to Invercargill” sign

Health and Disability Mayday Expo 2013

The Invercargill Vegan Society attended the Mayday expo, promoting Veganism as a healthy and fun way of living.  We had a great time, and spoke with more than a hundred people interested in Veganism :-)

INVSOC trip to Dunedin

Jordan and Jenny visited Dunedin to sample Vegan foods from “Circadian Rhythm”, “Modaks” and “The Joyful Vegan” :-)  Some of the best food you’ll ever see!
Along the way we visited Aramoana, St Clair beach and Lush cosmetics :-)

Click to see photos of the INVSOC trip to Dunedin

INVSOC HQ Hen Home renovations!

While Jordan and Jenny moved into the new INVSOC HQ, the Hen Friends got a Hen Home of their own too!  We’ve made a post showing the renovations, our garden and the Hen Home doors nationwide autograph tour!

Click to see photos of the INVSOC HQ Hen Home renovations

Surf to City Funrun 2013

Team Vegan entered four members in the Surf to City 2013 funrun.  Jordan, Jen, Steph and Christina had a great time, despite running past the brutal rodeo held on the same day, nearly being runover by a Fonterra tanker and observing Ronald McDonald leading children away for a “Fun and Magic show” sponsored by McDonalds.

Click to see photos of Surf to City 2013 and Team Vegan!

World Vegan Day 2012

Click to see photos of our World Vegan Day 2012 celebrations

1st of November each year is World Vegan Day.  From street activism around our posters across Invercargill, a special World Vegan Day episode of our podcast “Coexisting With Nonhuman Animals” to our dinner event held at the Invercargill Library, it was a fantastic day to be Vegan in Invercargill :-)

Click to see photos of our World Vegan Day 2012 celebrations

2012 Transition Towns Spring Eco Festival

See our table at the 2012 Eco Festival!  Held on Saturday 6th of October 2012

Click to see our Eco Festival 2012 photos

August 2012

INVSOC donated Vegan childrens books to the Invercargill Public Library, “Vegan Is Love” and “Thats Why We Dont Eat Animals” by author Ruby Roth.

In preparation for World Vegan Day 2012 (1st November each year), we trialled having INVSOC posters up around Invercargill :-)

A series of our replies to the New Zealand slaughterhouse board “Beef + Lamb ” were published in The Southland Times newspaper.  We baked them some Banana Chocolate Chip muffins as a small token of thanks for including our message of respect for others.

February 2012 Surf to City Funrun

Russell, Noelle and Jordan entered the 2012 Surf to City funrun wearing Vegan shirts! :-)

World Vegan Day 2011

For World Vegan Day 2011 (November 1st), we planted a memorial tree in the Otepuni Gardens

On the other side of the world, in the Invercargill sized city of Petaluma, California USA, theres a brick with our name etched into it!

INVSOC helped fund the construction of the new TWiT Studio, This Week in Tech, one of the largest New Media companies in the world.  Main host Leo Laporte streams video and audio near constantly, with many high quality shows each day, covering technology and science.

Its an honour to help New Media grow, the exciting world of online distribution, where an TV and Radio star can go on to host an award winning show in his own house, finally expanding his whole network to the point it needed a custom studio :-)   Fans visit the TWiT Studio from around the world to attend shows live, and when they do, they’ll see the word *VEGAN* among the Brick wall, subtle activism :-)

Google Maps have even mapped out the TWiT studio, so you can use “Street View” to see our brick, and the rest of the studio! :-)

View Larger Map

Transition Towns Eco Festival 2011

INVSOC attended the Transition Towns Eco Festival 2011

National Animal Rights Conference, July 2011

Held in Auckland, NARC13 was incredible!  Vegan restaurants, meeting online friends in person, great speakers – it was superb!