Why I'll be going to Earthfest 4/16

You all know I'm a self-professed green geek. So how could I miss the annual celebration of all things green in Knoxville? Earthfest is scheduled for this Saturday, April 16 from 10am to 5pm. Admission is FREE and there will be lots of great activities and access to loads of information to "Green it and Mean it"--this year's theme.

Check out my highlights from last year's event. Looking through the list of this year's vendors, I'm sure you'll have many of the same experiences. Here are some of my favorites:

1. The solar industry will be well represented if you have questions on that (especially if you own a business trying to cut energy costs). The UT Solar Decathalon team will also be there.
2. Earthfare will be there and last year they had a great coupon! They're sponsoring the kids area which tends to have great crafts.
3. The Holistic Moms Network should have an area for you to nurse and change diapers (cloth a plus, but not a requirement ;)
4. The Knoxville Recycling Coalition can answer questions about recycling styrofoam and sell you a bag to begin collecting it.
5. They're aiming for a "zero waste" event and will have no trash cans on site. So if you can be mindful of any materials you bring and take them with you if they are not compostable or recyclable, that would be great.

There will also be three panels throughout the day:

1. Are we too clean? (11-11:50am)

2. Livable Communities (noon - 12:50pm)

3. Local Actions: Global Ramifications (1:00 - 1:50pm)

If you have these items, bring them:

1. mercury thermometer (can be exchanged for a new digital one)

2. incandescent lightbulb (can be exchanged for a compact fluorescent one; limit one per household)

3. 10 plastic bags or water bottles (can be exchanged for a reusable cloth bag)

4. Shoes to donate for Soles4Souls in Japan.

So, who else will be there?