Ho Chi Minh City readies week-long green food festival

Photo courtesy of Hoang Le / Tuoi Tre

Ho Chi Minh City will host a week-long vegetarian food festival from August 24 to 30, with organisers expecting more than 350,000 visitors to Binh Phu Park in Binh Phu Ward.

The 2026 Green Food Festival will bring together traditional Vietnamese vegetarian dishes, modern plant-based food, clean-agriculture producers and eco-friendly consumer brands. Its theme, “Choose Green Food for a Green Future”, links food with green consumption, tourism and the wider economy.

Hundreds of stalls are expected, offering familiar favourites alongside new plant-based creations. Organisers also plan to promote zero-waste practices, reduced plastic use, food-waste recycling and cashless payments.

Programme for visitors

A professional chefs’ contest on August 24 will include categories for vegetarian pho, bun and banh xeo. The official opening follows on August 25, with demonstrations of vegetarian pho, banh mi and banh xeo, where chefs and specialists will share cooking methods and business experience.

The following days will include a student vegetarian-food competition, demonstrations of vegetarian bun Hue, bun mam and fresh spring rolls, and practical activities aimed at families. The event concludes on August 30 with Green Environment Day, featuring recycling activities, a Green Family workshop and a programme on growing plants using coconut fibre.

Food, tourism and community

The festival’s ambassador, Miss Phan Thi Mo, encouraged young people and families to view vegetarian food as part of a healthier and more responsible lifestyle. Nguyen Tan Viet, chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Food and Beverage Association, said small changes in food choices and consumption could contribute to a wider green movement.

A community programme on August 29 will provide 200 gifts to disadvantaged people, 500 free vegetarian meals and 30 full scholarships to aspiring chefs.

For visitors in Ho Chi Minh City, the festival offers a straightforward way to explore plant-based Vietnamese food while taking part in a major late-August city event.

18 August 2026