“Going green” is a term that has become increasingly more common in our society over the last few decades. Individuals have a new awareness of the impact our everyday decisions make on this world, from the car we drive to the food we eat, and sustainable living is reaching the forefront of thought for many consumers.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, community members have a unique opportunity to gain insight into many different facets of sustainability, and our community has become one of the leading areas for green businesses and practices.
For this reason, The Green Festival — a project of Green America and Global Exchange — has chosen San Francisco as one of its host cities for more than 10 years. On Nov. 10–11, San Francisco will become a hub for ecologically minded, green-powered businesses and local community members.
Kelly Meinken, the director of marketing for Endangered Species Chocolate, is a new participant to The Green Festival. She explained the excitement of showcasing in our local community: “San Francisco was chosen because it is known by many vendors to be the best Green Fest location with the most core consumers at one show.
“The event is well managed and brings a large group of like-minded consumers and companies into one location for two days of education, communication and food sampling. We are really looking forward to experiencing San Francisco.”
The idea behind the Green Festival is to create an environment for individuals, businesses, and leaders in our community to come together, share ideas, showcase green products and find outlets that better our lives socially, economically, and environmentally.
Over 190 renowned leaders, authors, and educators will share their ideas and knowledge on how to empower people and create change in the way consumers make choices on the products they buy. There are hundreds of vendors and participants eager to share their innovative ideas on how to buy more sustainable products. From clothes to coffee to cars — there is something for everyone at the Green Festival.
The Green Festival will house many different and exciting opportunities for the community to learn about a sustainable economy, ecological balance and social justice.
For example, Retrofit Republic — a sustainable styling firm and vintage retailer based out of San Francisco — will be presenting “Adaptation: A Presentation for Sustainable Style Design and Fashion Show.”
Retrofit Republic will be showcasing the latest in eco-friendly and recycled vintage clothing, as well as spreading their message that eco-sustainability can and should be a facet in the fashion industry. Their efforts are to mold exquisite style with sustainability, in addition to pursuing initiatives with low-income populations, various ethnic communities and the LGBTQ community.
Another partner of The Green Festival is Greenopia — an organization dedicated to an easily accessible directory of eco-friendly services, retailers, and organizations. As a media partner, Greenopia has helped the Green Festival to spread the word about the event and its many benefits to the community.
Doug Mazeffa, Research Director for Greenopia, explained the relationship between the two organizations and how together they are reaching a common goal for a more sustainable community.
“Both our groups are trying to educate and connect consumers with green businesses and products,” Mazeffa said. “Since Greenopia is the largest Green Business Directory in the US, the event is a great platform to meet new green businesses and to interact with consumers so that we can make a better product and find out what sort of information they are seeking in greening their daily lives. Our goal is to always lead consumers into making more sustainable purchasing decisions whenever possible.”
The Green Festival is not only dedicated to ecological balance and sustainable living, but also to community outreach and social justice. This annual event allows members from many diverse communities to come together to celebrate and learn about what is working in their respective communities.
The Green Festival is dedicated to providing concrete solutions to help people become more sustainable, to bring more social justice, and become more green. Out of 190 speakers, more than 50 percent are coming from various ethnic communities, as well as from the LGBT community.
Denise Hamler, director for the Green America Business Network, shares one of the root goals for the San Francisco Bay Area Green Festival. Hamler said, “Our team goes out into the community to build relationships, and we're taking a snap shot of what’s going on in the community. We develop a list of criteria for what we are looking for, so we can bring the best examples of what's working in our community and what are we struggling with, so we can bring them to the Festival.”
The Green Festival is a unique opportunity for Bay Area community members to learn more about the many resources our community has to offer. The message and the mission of this festival will help change the way we view ourselves as people, as consumers, and as neighbors in our community.
For more information, see
www.greenfestivals.org/san-francisco/.
