On August 15, the Ho Chi Minh City Culinary Association coordinated with the People's Committee of Binh Phu Ward to announce the Ho Chi Minh City Vegetarian Food Festival 2026. The event takes place from August 24 to 30 at Binh Phu Park, on an area of 7.3ha.
With the theme "Choosing green cuisine for a green future", this year's festival not only introduces vegetarian dishes but also aims to connect the fields of green cuisine, agriculture, consumption and tourism.
According to the Organizing Committee, nearly 200 booths have been registered, gathering businesses operating in the fields of cuisine, food of plant origin, agricultural products, OCOP products, tourism, technology and solutions serving the F&B industry.
Visitors can enjoy traditional and modern vegetarian dishes, learn about new products, meet chefs and artisans, and participate in exchange and experience activities. The festival space is also for trade promotion activities, connecting businesses with consumers and distributors.
The event takes place on the occasion of the full moon of July, a time when the demand for learning about and enjoying vegetarian cuisine is high. This is considered an opportunity for Ho Chi Minh City to develop another destination rich in cultural elements, suitable for both local people and domestic and international tourists.
On August 24, the festival organized a professional chef contest with three categories: Vegetarian Pho Ambassador, Vegetarian Vermicelli Ambassador and Vegetarian Banh Xeo Ambassador. Each category is expected to have 50 teams from restaurants, eateries and businesses in vegetarian cuisine, organic food, and healthy food.
After the opening ceremony on August 25, chefs will promote vegetarian pho, vegetarian bread and vegetarian banh xeo. In the following days, there will be a competition for students and a performance program of Hue vermicelli, fermented vermicelli, vegetarian spring rolls. Through this, many familiar Vietnamese dishes are introduced with new processing methods, creating more experiences for visitors.
The green tourism factor is also reflected in limiting plastic waste, building spaces without waste, recycling food and encouraging cashless payments.
On August 30, the Green Environment Day organizes recycling activities, guidance on waste sorting, growing clean vegetables at home and experiencing planting trees without pots with coconut fiber. Every evening, from 7 pm to 10 pm, the main stage has a cultural and artistic program serving the public.
The festival also dedicates space for community activities. The organizers plan to give 200 gifts, serve 500 free vegetarian meals and implement 30 full-time cooking vocational scholarships for young people in difficult circumstances.
Mr. Nguyen Tan Viet, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Culinary Association, said that the festival is gradually oriented to become a space connecting the green culinary ecosystem and sustainable development.
