2016 Aurora GreenFest
Come to the Aurora GreenFest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 11, at Prisco Community Center and McCullough Park at 150 W. Illinois Ave. in Aurora.
The Aurora GreenFest is a free celebration of sustainability and living green. It is the seventh year of honoring the local sustainability community, with everything from environmentally-friendly lifestyles to green products. This year's GreenFest is full of great ideas about how to help ourselves and the planet through our own daily actions.
This year, they welcome The Resiliency Institute, dedicated to teaching communities how to prepare for economic, social, and environmental change through permaculture. Resiliency is a new concept in environmentalism and sustainability: The ability of a system to bounce back from a disturbance, such as pollution or climate change, and find new and betters ways to thrive. The Fox Valley Electric Auto Association will be joining the expo for the first time.
There will be nature exhibits, featuring bats, eagles, bees, skunks and other creatures. Loving nature is one way to encourage children and grown-ups to protect the earth. Live music and local food create a festival atmosphere. Green-friendly energy sources show ways to save money and save the world at the same time.
Other great exhibits include: a bike, car and truck show featuring electric vehicles, including a new Tesla, a Nissan Leaf, and a Chevy Volt, and the Fox Valley Electric Auto Association; a Kids Eco-village with games, crafts and recycled art projects; a local market and trade show with more than 100 exhibitors; local organic farmers; and more. Visit auroragreenfest.com.
The Aurora Township will be providing shuttle bus service from various parking lots around the downtown area. Please look for our "Event Parking" signs at these locations:
* Lot W. This is across the street from Rocktown Adventures. Pick up will be at the kayak store at 107 Spruce Street.
* Aurora Transportation Center. This lot will be the site of the Aurora Farmers' Market. You can attend the GreenFest and the Farmers' Market all in one day and with one parking spot! Pick-up will be at the "Kiss and Ride" area.
* Aurora Township Office Parking Lot. Pick-up will be at the entrance to the parking lot just south of the Township office.
* City Parking, south of the Aurora Township Office. Pick-up will be at the entrance to the parking lot.
* City Garage at northwest corner of Illinois and Route 25. Pick-up point will be at the parking lot entrance.
* Fox Valley Park District Cole Center. This is across the street from McCullough Park and the Prisco Community Center. You may want to walk. Pick-up will be near the front door of the Cole Center.
Remember the expo will not have electronic recycling this year.
But you can bring all of these things to the GreenFest:
o Cellphones for Mutual Ground clients. The phones are programmed to call 911 in case of an emergency.
o Medications: Fox Metro Water Reclamation District will be doing a medication take-back inside.
o Gently used women's business clothing. These are being collected by the Aurora Actionnaires for women in need to use for job interviews.
o Dart will be collecting Foam #6 (sometimes called Styrofoam).
o Used Books: American Association of University Women.
"We are excited to make this year's Aurora GreenFest the best ever," said Mavis Bates, festival founder and organizer. "Every GreenFest is different from the last, as our community evolves in how we respond to the needs of our environment and our goals for sustainability. We love bringing our community together to celebrate our planet."
Aurora GreenLights, an affiliate of the Conservation Foundation, organizes the festival. The Dunham Fund has generously agreed to be a major sponsor of this year's festival, in accordance with John C. Dunham's dream of "making the world a more comfortable, safer place for mankind to live and prosper."