Green Living Festival Focuses on Community Building

The organizers of the Green Living Festival hope that participants will do more than "Shop, Learn & Celebrate" at their three-day event in downtown Rochester starting May 13.

"Being green is about developing strong local connections, so we are focusing on providing great community-building opportunities for festival participants and visitors," said Will REx, community development manager for MI Green Team.

The Green Living Festival will offer a packed schedule of educational displays, presentations, films and activities at several venues throughout the event, and will also provide a unique venue designed specifically for networking -- the Connections Café. The tent will house more than 30 non-profit organizations located at round tables, where visitors can learn about green and healthy living in a casual and interactive setting.

"The open format offers space for greater participation and encourages visitors to make sustainable connections with local experts, organizations and with each other," Rex said. "By offering free space to qualified green and wellness non-profits and a large, centrally-located meeting space for networking and education, the festival becomes more than a consumer trade show or community celebration, although it is both of those. Visitors will enjoy the fun, food and shopping, but their lives can change by making the right connections at the event."

In addition to the Connections Café, non-commercial exhibits will be scattered throughout many festival venues, including Farmers Row, Kids Corner, Media Center, Trailhead and Wellness Way. The festival's Green Stage will located in the Connections Café, and other stages in the Kids Corner, Wellness Way and the Film Theater. Each offers a full schedule of presentations and group activities. These educational and networking efforts are part of the festival efforts in "growing a brighter, greener future."

There is no admission charge for exhibits, presentations, the parade, jobs fair or Party for the Planet. For more information, visit www.miglf.com.

The MI Green Team promotes green living, business and community throught Michigan's premier green and wellness network, events and a Web site, at www.migreenteam.com.