Green festival attracts 700 people

More than 700 people participated in the third annual Green Living Festival on Saturday.

Organizer Vicki Bates said the group is still compiling the event surveys.

"So far it's all very positive," she said. "We had some good presentations. It was a lot of fun."

Bates said she expects the festival, which was held in Lampe Park, will return next year.

"The exhibitors were all great," she said. "We deliberately kept some of the more popular ones, and then tried to bring in some new stuff."

Presentations this year included topics such as safely preserving food made at home, soapmaking, ways to save money on energy through insulation, alternative energy sources, gardening, and maintaining wells.

Children were encouraged to participate in the DiscoverY Center where the blender bike was a popular item, Bates said.

"It helps kids put two and two together on how these things work," she said. "It shows them that it takes energy to use these appliances."

Soroptimist International and Computer Corps set up a station where they collected computers and monitors for recycling.

"I heard they brought two trucks this time," Bates said. "We felt they were a good fit."

Bates, who is secretary of The Sustainable Living and Renewable Energy Roundup, said the organization is planning to do more things during the rest of the year, such as field trips.

"We're looking for ways to reach out to the community and give them information about conserving energy."