Saturday's Earth Day Festival Shows off Green Living Ideas

The wind blew, thunder rumbled, and the rain poured on Saturday, but it didn't keep away the crowds from Saturday's Earth Day Festival at Fairfield Warde High School.  This celebration honors Earth Day, which turned 40 this year on April 22, and is one of Connecticut's largest eco-living festivals.

Held inside the high school, visitors were immediately greeted by a volunteer who presented them with a blue reusable shopping tote.  Tucked inside the tote was a package of green tea, courtesy of the local R.C. Bigelow Tea Co.  From there, guests were invited to peruse the various booths lining the hallway.  The booths presented a mix of big-name companies and small-town groups - Chevrolet was there touting its greener cars; the Sierra Club set up a booth showcasing its efforts to preserve nature; and H2Africa, a Fairfield Warde High School group dedicated to bringing clean water to Africa, was there raising money.  The booths extended past the main hallway into the gym and cafeteria, where everyone from the Home Depot to local beekeepers were represented.  You could learn about ways to reduce dust in your home, ways to clean greener, and even buy rugs made from recycled materials.

Our neighbor to the south, Westport, grabs most of the attention for its eco-friendly programs (they were among the first places to ban plastic grocery bags), but Fairfield's local government has made a concerted effort to support greener living, whether it has been supporting sustainable food choices in the public schools, establishing a town farm, or supporting cleaner energy.

If you are interested in learning more about the Earth Day celebration of getting more information about local businesses and government offices that can help you incorporate greener ways of living into your daily life, visit www.fairfieldearthday.org.