PETA's Vegan Ice Cream Truck Rolls Into Princeton Thursday

PRINCETON, NJ — PETA's "iScream" truck will hand out free vegan ice cream at the Princeton Farmers Market in Hinds Plaza on Thursday, part of a summer tour aimed at promoting dairy-free treats.

The event, scheduled for 10 a.m. at 55 Witherspoon St., will also feature scream challenges and a prize wheel for kids, according to PETA. The market is set to close early that day because of the region's ongoing heat wave, but PETA said its truck will still be on hand to help visitors cool off.

PETA President Tracy Reiman said the giveaway is meant to promote vegan alternatives to dairy ice cream.

"The only thing sweeter than PETA's vegan ice cream is knowing that no animals were harmed in the making of it," Reiman said, adding that the organization invites the public to visit the truck and enjoy dairy-free desserts.

The stop in Princeton is part of a nationwide tour in which PETA's truck is visiting cities to distribute vegan ice cream and encourage shops and festivals to add dairy-free options to their menus. The organization said children are frequently drawn to the cause both because of natural empathy toward animals and because many are lactose intolerant.

PETA argues that dairy production separates cows from their calves, with newborn males typically sent to veal production and female calves raised to eventually replace their mothers in milk herds. The organization points to a growing number of vegan ice cream options now sold by mainstream brands as evidence that dairy-free alternatives have become more accessible.

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