I am so bummed.
During the first Seattle Green Festival, running April 12-13 at the Washington State Trade and Convention Center, I am going to be otherwise engaged.
I hope the same isn’t true for you.
I just read through the event’s official guide and, wow, not only are there going to be some cool activities and events, but there will also be 300 green exhibits on a variety of topics, including sustainable food, green building and youth in action, plus amazing speakers visiting from across the Northwest and the nation to share their expertise.
There will be 150 speakers, including Jim Hightower (“America’s No. 1 Populist”), Billy Frank Jr. (Nisqually Indian Tribe), Gifford Pinchot III (Bainbridge Graduate Institute), Cecile Andrews (“The Slow Life”), Paul Stamets (Fungi Perfecti) and Amy Goodman (Democracy Now!).
That’s in addition to a music stage, a film festival, a green home pavilion, a tea garden, a bookstore.
Just think of what you could learn if you go to the hands-on workshops on topics such as home vegetable gardening, community and social investing, greening your home and office, responsible travel, green parenting, green technology and building, solar installations and green renovations.
One panel discussion – “EcoMotion: Electric Vehicles and our Transportation Future” at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 13 – will explain how the electric car has come back to life, including comments from panelist Chelsea Sexton from the original EV1 program at General Motors.
And, yes, as with any fair, there will be opportunities for shopping, including natural home and health products, fair trade gifts and crafts and, of course, local organic beer and wine samples.
Though compostable foodware will be provided, attendees are urged to bring their own, plus water bottles, bags and mugs as needed.
The Seattle Green Festival, modeled after hugely successful events in San Francisco, Chicago and Washington, D.C., is a joint project of Global Change and Co-op America, both national nonprofits.
Admission is $15, $10 if you bike, ride the bus or are a student or senior. Kids age 12 and younger can attend for free.
If you go, please write me here and let me know how it went, what you learned and if the festival met the green mark.
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