PORTLAND, Maine — It’s not easy being green, a famous frog once said.
In Maine’s rural pockets and urban enclaves, living sustainably takes practice, extra vigilance and knowhow. But as the second annual Portland Greenfest demonstrates this weekend, eco-awareness can strengthen community and spark festivity.
On Saturday, Sept. 12, scores of organizations, businesses, musicians and artists will fan out over Monument Square for the daylong jamboree of living footloose and carbon free.
Although the average Portlander is environmentally hip, new developments in composting, electric cars, water pollution and fuel alternatives are always emerging. The festival unites exhibitors, food trucks, vendors and workshops.
“We created this because there was no one place where people could go to learn about all of these things at once,” said Jeff Edelstein, director of Greater Portland Sustainability Council, the Portland-based nonprofit running the fest.
Protecting local waterways, heating your home with solar, wood pellet demos, backyard beekeeping and tips on ways to power your car and home with recycled cooking oil are all part of the free event.
Last year 5,000 people came out for Portland Greenfest. Edelstein expects more at its second iteration.
“It was a fantastic first year. Feedback was great. People learned a lot about environmental stability and ways to be more green in their homes and businesses and schools,” he said
This year is “bigger and better,” with food trucks Fish ‘n’ Ships, Locally Sauced, Love Kupcakes and Maine-ly Meatballs chosen for their use of local ingredients and recyclable plates and utensils. All waste will be collected by urban composters Garbage to Garden and We Compost It!
Music by local musicians, from folk to African fusion, will fill the air as artists lead workshops for kids in upcycled art. Hard-to-recycle materials, such as rope fragments and old sails, will magically become mini masterpieces.
“It’s a celebration of the amazing activities going on around our region,” Edelstein said.
An afternoon series in the Portland Public Library focuses on food and agriculture. The film “Growing Local” by Maine Farmland Trust screens twice, at 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Between shows, there will be a discussion about Maine’s agriculture movement, examining ways to increase food security. A discussion on sustainable seafood from the Gulf of Maine Research Institute caps the program at 3:30 p.m.
With the Common Ground Country Fair in Unity coming up at the end of the month, is Portland Greenfest a precursor?
“We totally support the Common Ground Fair, but it takes a lot of driving to get there,” Edelstein said. “This is close to home [for southern Maine] and is sustainable in that way.”
Portland Greenfest is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, at Monument Square in Portland. The event is free. For more information, visit portlandgreenfest.org.
