VSDC LGBTQ+ & Allies: Fall Fun!

Autumn is a great time to have some outdoor enjoyment with your fellow veg and veg-curious friends. Please join us at Needwood Lake, a beautiful park with plenty of opportunities for fall fun!

This event is open to both LGBTQ+ folks as well as our allies. You do not have to LGBTQ+ to join, however.

At this time, we do not have a reserved spot at the park so we will meet in the parking lot near the intersection of Needwood Lake Dr. and Beach Dr. and decide as a group the best place to hang out. However, it is possible that a few days before the event we will be able to secure a specific shelter. If that turns out to be the case, this event listing will be updated and a message will be sent to event participants with more details. Because we do not have a spot reserved right now, participants should plan to bring their own blanket or camping chair.

Wearing a Halloween costume is optional (but it would add to the fall fun)!

If some of the group wants to walk some of the path near the lake, it is a lovely trail and should be especially pretty this time of the year.

To bring:

• Camping chair, picnic blanket, or similar portable seating option.
• Water or other non-alcoholic beverage.
• If folks would like, they can bring their own vegan picnic to enjoy themselves or vegan snacks to share with the group.
• Dress for the weather and it would be good to bring tick/mosquito repellent, especially if you plan on walking in the woods.
• If you have any lawn games, please bring them to play with other event participants.
• There is a first-come-first-served volleyball court nearby so also feel free to bring a volleyball if you would like to get together a game.

Note that this event will be cancelled in the event of severe weather and an urgent comment will be posted to this event listing. If it is only lightly raining, the host will still proceed with the event.
When: Saturday, October 24 from 1-3 pm

Where: Lake Needwood (part of Rock Creek Regional Park in Montgomery County) . We will meet at the parking lot at the intersection of Needwood Lake Dr. and Beach Dr. (6129 Needwood Lake Dr, Derwood, MD 20855) and the group will decide where specifically they would like to gather. The host will post updates in the comments if the group decides to move away from near the parking area, for example to walk on the path by the lake.
Transportation: The park is best reached by private vehicle. You could use a rideshare or similar service to get to the park from Shady Grove metro, which is 3 miles (approx.10 minute drive) away. Please post a comment to this event page if you are in need of a ride as someone may be willing to offer you one. (And please use common sense when offering a ride to someone you do not know.)

Cost: Free

About the Group
Unless noted otherwise, VSDC's LGBTQ+ events are intended for queer/questioning folks who self-identify as LGBTQ+. The events are meant to serve as a safe space to share community with other self-identified queer or questioning LGBTQ+ vegan or vegan-curious people. However, we appreciate our allies and we plan to host "LGBTQ+ & ALLIES" events approximately quarterly - to welcome non-queer allies into our events in order to share community with our fellow vegans/veg curious VSDC participants. If the event is an "& ALLIES" event, it will be clearly identified as such in the name of the event. Any person who participates in an "& ALLIES" event must be supportive of LGBTQ+ persons, their lifestyle, and their gender expression; unsupportive or combative individuals will be removed from events and banned from future VSDC LGBTQ+ events. Please note that any and all questions related to gender/LGBTQ+ issues that may arise during either LGBTQ+ or LGBTQ+ & ALLIES events must be posed ONLY to event host, Susan, and not be asked of any other meetup participants in order to respect their privacy and promote their personal safety.

Update Your RSVP
Please change your RSVP if you can no longer make it.

VSDC: More Than A Meetup
We are delighted to have you as part of The Veg Society of DC Vegan Meetup group, and we look forward to seeing you at our events. Did you know that VSDC is a nonprofit organization with membership benefits?
With VSDC membership, you will save money at area restaurants and businesses, attend VSDC member-only events, and, most importantly, support us as a clear and consistent voice for improving the lives of all beings through community building and education centered on the benefits of a vegan diet and lifestyle.
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Interested in Volunteering with VSDC?
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Only Vegan Food, Please
While VSDC welcomes people wherever they are on the path to an all-plant, vegan diet and lifestyle, it is our policy that only vegan food be served and consumed at our events. If you would like to explore a vegan diet or get support in making lifestyle changes, consider these resources.

Liability Waiver and Code of Conduct
When you sign up to attend, you automatically acknowledge VSDC's Liability Waiver and commit to follow the code of conduct found at Policies - VSDC - Veg Society of DC.

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