Maple Leaf-Clad Animal Allies to Hand Out Dozens of Free Vegan Roasts for Thanksgiving
For Immediate Release:
November 5, 2026
Contact:
Alex Payne 202-483-7382
Ahead of Thanksgiving, PETA supporters dressed as vibrant autumnal maple leaves will descend on Congress Square Park on Saturday to give away dozens of free vegan turkey roasts, encouraging passersby to turn over a new leaf by celebrating with a festive “ThanksVegan” feast that leaves turkeys in peace.
“Turkeys are devoted parents and spirited individuals who value their lives, and they don’t want to be carved up on a holiday table any more than a human would,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is encouraging everyone to tuck into a delicious vegan roast and leaf animals off their plates this Thanksgiving and beyond.”
When: Saturday, November 7, 12 noon
Where: Congress Square Park, near Congress and High streets, Portland
Credit: PETA
Why: In nature, turkeys can live for over 10 years and spend their days caring for their young, building nests, and roosting in trees. But those raised for food are slaughtered within their first six months of life—and millions are killed each year for Thanksgiving alone. Workers hang the young birds upside down, drag them through an electrified bath, slit their throats, and dump them into scalding-hot defeathering tanks—often while they’re still conscious.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that when it comes to the ability to feel pain, hunger, and thirst, a turkey is a dog is a boy. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
