BLUEGRASS GREENSOURCE

News release

Bluegrass Greensource will have its third annual GreenFest, a one-day sustainable living festival featuring green living workshops and resources, eco-inspired activities for kids, community booths and vendors, and local food from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 3. 

GreenFest 2017 will be held at Bluegrass Greensource’s headquarters, located at 835 National Avenue in Lexington, with workshops held in two locations —inside the building and in a workshop tent outside, with most other festivities held in the parking lot directly across the street.

“We established GreenFest in 2015 as a way to make living sustainably as accessible and fun as possible,” says Amy Sohner, Bluegrass Greensource Executive Director. “GreenFest brings together regional experts and vendors to make resource sharing simple. We also strive to make this a family-friendly event, through kids’ activities, local food, and music.”

This year, GreenFest will build on the success of the previous two years’ workshops, by adding a new ”walking workshop.” This workshop will give attendees the opportunity to tour the home of Amanda Gumbert, which includes many sustainable features. Participants will have the opportunity to talk with Amanda and her husband Mark Gumbert of Copperhead Consulting about implementing solar, increasing energy efficiency with cellulose insulation and window upgrades, backyard chickens, compost bins, native plant landscaping, and other features. 

“We have implemented sustainable features because we believe it’s the right thing for our planet. Both of us are trained scientists, and we have a deep love of nature,” says Amanda. “We aren’t perfect; we just do our best.”

A diverse lineup of 10 Green Living Workshops is scheduled throughout the day, which will take place 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. These short and engaging workshops are completely free, and are designed to increase access to sustainable living resources and knowledge.

“Our Green Living Workshops are the foundation of GreenFest,” says Amy Sohner. “These workshops are a great opportunity to be introduced to new sustainability skills or resources that participants can then take home and put into practice.”

Workshop leaders represent a diverse pool of regional sustainability experts and organizations. A full schedule of the workshops can be found below, and at www.BgGreenfest.org. 

Bluegrass Greensource, The University of Kentucky Arboretum, and Bluegrass Printmakers’ Cooperative will present activities for kids all day long. Bluegrass Greensource is excited to welcome back LEX 18’s Tom Ackerman as the emcee for the day. Food vendors on site include Rolling Oven Pizza and North Lime Coffee & Donuts.

GreenFest 2017 will be held rain or shine. For more information, including the workshop schedule and full list of vendors, visit www.BgGreenfest.org. GreenFest 2017 is made possible with support from event partners Kentucky Utilities, Kentucky American Water, Synergy Home LLC, Good Foods Co-op, LEX18 and WUKY.

2017 Green Living Workshop Schedule:

Workshop schedule subject to change, please visit www.BgGreenfest.org for updates.

10:30 a.m. – Centered – Mindfulness and Ergonomics for Healthy and Conscious Living atBGGS conference room 

Eternally Geared – Bike repair, bike commuting and safety at workshop tent in parking lot in front of BGGS

11 a.m. – Habitat for Humanity Restore – Upcycled Shadowbox (Make & Take Activity) at workshop tent in parking lot in front of BGGS

Synergy Home – Home Solar at workshop tent 

11:30 a.m. – Anahata Travel – Sustainable Travel at BGGS conference room 

12 p.m. – Bluegrass Beekeepers Association – Beekeeping at BGGS Conference Room

12:30 p.m. – Sweet Life Natural Food – Downsizing to a Sweet Life at BGGS Conference room

1 p.m. – Wilson’s Nursery – Small Space Gardening in BGGS Conference room

1:30 p.m.– ReContained – Container Housing at container house next to vendor tent

NEW: Walking Workshop: Sustainable Home Tour

11 a.m. -12:15 p.m. with Bluegrass Greensource staff.

Tour a home boasting numerous sustainable features, including rain barrels, front yard vegetable garden, mixing native plants with horticultural varieties in landscaping, upgraded windows, added cellulose insulation, solar panels, backyard chickens, and compost bin – all in the context of a 100-year-old house.

About Bluegrass Greensource:

Bluegrass Greensource is an environmental education nonprofit serving 20 Central Kentucky communities since 2001. The mission of Bluegrass Greensource is to empower the Bluegrass to create a sustainable environment by focusing on how small changes make a big impact. Bluegrass Greensource provides outreach to more than 4,500 classes, 600 community groups, businesses, local governments and private residents each year. For more information, visit www.BgGreensource.org.