Green Festivals - Green Festival Comes to D.C. To Promote Healthy Living

Green Festival Comes to D.C. To Promote Healthy Living

The District Proves It Does Have a Heart... A Green One, At Least

Green Festival Comes to D.C. To Promote Healthy Living

by By Katherine Silkaitis, The Tower Online
September 17th, 2004

We've been told to try to save the world since we were old enough to walk. But now that we are in college, most of us have become too jaded to believe that is even a remote possibility anymore. If you're looking for something to reignite that youthful spark this weekend, you just might be interested in the Washington D.C. Green Festival.

One of only two in the country (the other being in San Francisco), the D.C. Green Festival was created in 2002 with the intent of bringing a variety of people together to support a "green" economy. The festivals bring leading environmental thinkers, green businesses and community members together to discuss and learn more about the small things everyone can do to make the economy and world just a little better.

Over the course of two days, the festival will host a variety of panels, speakers and exhibits. Many of the speakers are nationally and internationally known and their topics include everything from perspectives on global warming to public healthcare to organic choices in D.C. With over 60 presenters, it is almost guaranteed that there will be an interesting topic - we certainly can't forget the lecture on green funeral care.

Another highlight of the festival is the large exhibit hall, filled with companies and organizations who are dedicated to improving the quality of life and that of the earth. But many of the booths aren't just informative; they are interactive, as well. There are many exhibitors who sample organic foods and fair-trade coffees, and there are many opportunities to purchase hand-made crafts from fair-trade regions. Can't find that Cambodian silk you've been searching for? Make sure to check out Wild Boar Creek's stall, where you can buy silk and reed from Cambodia.

Other exhibitors include Burt's Bees (makers of natural lip balm and other beauty products), American Apparel (sweat-shop free and organic cotton - you know that t-shirt you love? They probably made it) and Seventh Generation (non-toxic and environmentally-safe household products).

If you're thinking that these are probably all niche companies that have little to do with the "real world," you might want to think again. The festivals' sponsors include such international companies as Clif Bar, Ms. Magazine, The Nation magazine and our very own Metro.

The festival is this Saturday and Sunday at the D.C. Convention Center, right of the Mount Vernon Square-Convention Center Metro stop on the Yellow and Green lines. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $10 per day for adults, $5 for students and seniors and $5 for those who ride their bike. A free bike valet is also available for those who bring one.