9th Annual Green Festival In Collingswood April 8

COLLINGSWOOD, NJ — Collingswood will host its ninth annual Green Festival on Saturday, April 8, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. along Irving Avenue, the borough announced Tuesday morning.

“The mission of the Green Festival is to give every person a chance to reduce our carbon footprint and to participate in a new green activity that can be easily implemented into your home,” Commissioner Joan Leonard, who organizes the event, said. “Come on out and enjoy!”

The festival unites residents, businesses, vendors and volunteers in an effort to build a better environment. There will be more than 70 vendors and tables at this year’s festival. There will be music and al fresco dining from local restaurants as well as food from local farmers and specialty organic merchants.

Through a variety of recycling opportunities, green-conscious vendors, and eco-friendly demonstrations, attendees will learn what they can do daily to reduce waste, including learning about GMO-free food. A Healthy Foods Tent will help anyone interested clean up their diet.

Other items will include a selection of goods made from recycled materials by local artisans, as well as booths featuring environmentally friendly products. Trees for planting in front or backyards will be also available for sale at a discounted rate, including free sapling giveaways.

The Kids Zone features activities, crafts, and games that will teach them children their environment, in addition to a fun-filled bike rodeo. The Perkins Center for the Arts will feature children’s nature art activities and demonstrations on creating rain gardens.

“It’s up to us to spread the good word about caring for our earth to our children, and the Green Festival makes an immediate impact in our region,” Leonard said.

Attendees are invited to bring household items for safe and efficient recycling.

Free paper shredding will be available from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Used electronics such as old TVs, monitors, laptops, radios, fax machines, DVD players, etc., will be accepted for drop-off between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Gently worn shoes are being accepted for donation, as well as used latex house paint to be recycled and reused.

While medications cannot be disposed of at the Green Festival, they can be discarded year-round at the Collingswood Police Department’s medicine drop box at PD Headquarters, 735 Atlantic Avenue.

Hazardous waste may also be dropped off at the Public Works building, 713 North Atlantic Avenue, starting at 8:30 a.m. at the Camden County Hazardous Waste Collection event.

Patrons are dared to find a way to use just one bag of trash per day during the festival’s “One Bag Challenge.”

They will also learn how to conserve energy, as well as the benefits of using solar power in their home or business.

Attendees can also learn the many different ways to use rainwater. The Water Tent offers the chance to learn more about water conservation and water quality. Residents can also take advantage of low prices on composters and rain barrels.

Guests can mingle with local gardeners while checking on the progress of Collingswood’s Community Gardens. They may also stock up on plants and herbs available for purchase and grown by the local high school students working in the school greenhouse.

At the Bike Share tent, guests can donate or purchase bikes, receive a free tune-up or join the program, which offers bike rentals for only $25 a year. Bike enthusiasts can also get tips from the pros for tuning up their bikes at home.

The festival is in need of volunteers to help out with the event. They are needed for setup from 7 a.m.-9 a.m., and for break-down from 2 p.m.-3 p.m., as well as the post-event cleanup.

During the event, volunteers will also be needed to assist with the children’s area, information booths, food areas and throughout the festival.

Interested vendors and volunteers can call Leonard at 856-858-4545 or email jleonard@collingswood.com to participate.

The attached images were provided by the Borough of Collingswood