The Big Green Apple
The Big Apple will turn green on April 21-22, 2012 as the nation’s premier eco-living event, Green Festival, makes its debut in New York City! The new LEED-certified Javits Center North Wing will host the event, which will feature hundreds of eco-innovators, guest speakers including author, Van Jones, entrepreneurs, Russell Simmons, Dylan Ratigan and Chris Yura, as well as activist, Amy Goodman, Ford’s latest hybrid vehicle, a Green Economy Expo sponsored through UrbanGoGreen, an organic beer and wine pavilion and the Green Marketplace featuring vendors from across the country, delicious gourmet vegan and vegetarian food, innovative workshops, and cultural programming.
Green Festival is a non-profit event that celebrates a ten-year milestone with over one million attendees in eight cities as a joint project of Green America and Global Exchange. The NYC event is expected to draw more than 20,000 people whose passion for green living and enthusiasm for learning new sustainability tools are matched by the exhibitors’ commitment to environmental sustainability and social justice using Green America’s green business standards.
Denise Hamler, Green Festival Director states, “We affectionately refer to Green Festival as the largest party with a purpose. Whether you come to shop, learn, network or experience art and music, Green Festival has it all; it’s a great place to celebrate what’s working in our communities and find the sustainable solutions that fit your lifestyle. This unique experience celebrates positive solutions that work on the community level as well as national and global solutions.”
Green Festival is the largest sustainability event in the US with over 125 national and local speakers presenting keynotes, workshops, and cultural programming. The Green Kids Pavilion offers play and learning for the under 12 set who want to grow as green individuals. The Green Marketplace features 300 green and socially responsible businesses and organizations. Attendees browse everything from green, non-toxic home furnishings to eco-clothing to Fair Trade gifts, children’s toys and much more.
Networking opportunities throughout the weekend will allow attendees to experience what’s trending in green jobs and green businesses at the Green Business and Urban Go Green Pavilions. Attendees of all ages can learn at the hands-on DIY workshops and gain practical green tips to apply to everyday life.
On Saturday, April 21, Green Festival will host a bike tour of the Old Croton Aqueduct from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Participants will meet at the Green Festival Bike Valet and join aqueduct expert, Matthew Malina of NYC H2O, for a guided tour of NYC’s historic waterworks and a scenic seven-mile bike ride. The aqueduct is an incredible work of engineering that delivered 40 million gallons of clean drinking water daily to a city that hosted epidemics of disease and devastating fires.
Additional highlights include:
- Ford Ride and Drive opportunities
- Good Food Stage with hands-on cooking demos, featuring Pooja Mottl, Leslie Durso and Tanya Fields
- Do-It-Yourself Workshops
- Green Kid’s Zone
- Green Business Pavilion
- Green Jobs and Careers
- Green Investing
- Renewable Energy
- Beer and Wine Pavilion
- Organic Local Food
- Fair Trade Pavilion
- Community Action Pavilion
- Green Films
- Youth Programs
- Roving acoustic musicians
- Keynote speakers include: Russell Simmons, Van Jones, Amy Goodman, Francis Moore Lappe, John Perkins, Katrina Van Den Heuvel, Dylan Ratigan
New York City Green Festival will be held on April 21-22, 2012. Doors open Saturday, April 21, 2012 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 22, 2012 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Javits Center is located at 655 West 34th Street, New York, NY.
Tickets are $10 for a one day pass and $20 for a full weekend pass when purchased online at www.greenfestivals.org, or $15 and $25 at the door. Free admission for anyone who rides a bike to the event and parks with the bike valet, youth under eighteen, adults over sixty five, union members, volunteers and Green America and Global Exchange members.
Key partners and sponsors include: Ford, Clif Bar, Natural Awakenings, Earth Balance, Nature’s Path, Calvert, Manitoba Harvest, The New York Times and Repax.
For more information at Green Festival NYC, please visit www.GreenFestivals.org.
About Green America
Green America is a national nonprofit organization founded in 1982, providing the economic strategies, organizing power and practicing tools for businesses and individuals to address today’s social and environmental problems. Its Green Business Network is the largest national network of businesses screened for their social and environmental responsibility.
About Global Exchange
Global Exchange is a membership-based international human rights organization dedicated to promoting social, economic and environmental justice around the world. Since its founding in 1988, Global Exchange has successfully increased public awareness of root causes of injustice while building international partnerships and mobilizing for change.
