Get out your calendars right now and reserve the weekend of the 20th and 21st of September!

Plan to be in Fort Collins for the premier green festival of northern Colorado, the Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Fair.

The Sustainable Living Fair is a solution based, hands-on, family oriented event designed to educate people of all ages and backgrounds about Sustainable Living Practices, Renewable Energy, Environmental & Social Responsibility, Natural Health, Green Building, Alternative Vehicles, Organic Agriculture, Local Economies and more.

This event draws thousands of people every year for a weekend of green education, community building, and inspiring speakers. For five bucks you can take your pick from over 50 workshops and learn about local food, sustainable agriculture and green living from hundreds of exhibitors.

Almost 10,000 people attended last year, yet the Fair only produced 230 pounds of trash. Recycling bins and compost receptacles are everywhere, and the Fair also purchases offset credits. In 2007, the Fair offset attendee travel, providing 282,006 kWh of wind energy credits to organizations and individuals around the country through Renewable Choice Energy.

Four great keynote speakers:

George Siemon , Organic Valley

, Organic Valley Ed Begley , actor/activist

, actor/activist Rahima Baldwin Dancy , author of Special Delivery

, author of Special Delivery Kevin Danaher, founder of Green Festivals

Four extended workshops with limited seating:

Homebrew Wind Turbine Workshop : Build a 10′ diameter wind turbine from scratch, starting with lumber, magnets, and copper wire. Carve some blades, fabricate an alternator, and end up with a finished machine to donate to the Fair’s silent auction.

: Build a 10′ diameter wind turbine from scratch, starting with lumber, magnets, and copper wire. Carve some blades, fabricate an alternator, and end up with a finished machine to donate to the Fair’s silent auction. Strawbale Construction and Plaster Workshop : Learn framing, bale preparation, and setting and pinning of the bales. Basic construction techniques and stucco plastering to finish the outside will also be taught.

: Learn framing, bale preparation, and setting and pinning of the bales. Basic construction techniques and stucco plastering to finish the outside will also be taught. Run Your Diesel on Straight Vegetable Oil : Learn the basics of a diesel to straight vegetable oil conversion, for the beginner and the professional.

: Learn the basics of a diesel to straight vegetable oil conversion, for the beginner and the professional. Build Your Own Vermicomposting System: The Worm Man, John Anderson (seen in New Belgium Brewery’s ads with his Wormbulance) shows you how to re-purpose household appliances into a worm compost bin for year-round use.

Two days of entertainment are planned, and plenty of local food vendors will be on hand to feed the green people. Planet Youth has children’s activities and workshops planned, ranging from yoga to global warming to making shoe-box solar ovens. The Natural Parenting Nook, sponsored by Mothering magazine, Motherlove Herbals, and Mom’s Breastaurant, will have games, kid’s activities, and presentations about alternatives for natural family living. There’s something for everyone in the family at this event.

If you act now, you can also get a ticket to “Drinks with Really Interesting People” on Saturday, September 20th at New Belgium Brewing Company. Have a beer with the keynote speakers and contribute to the Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Association. Tickets are $75, and pre-registration is required. All food and drink is donated by New Belgium.

A biodiesel-powered shuttle service will be provided to five locations in town, thanks to Blue Sun Biodiesel. See the schedule for more details. AlterNetRides has a national rideshare program for carpooling to the Fair, whether you come from the next state or the other side of the country.

You don’t want to miss the Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Fair.

Be there.

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