5-8-08
TriVillage Energy Fair A Success!
By Chuck Bingaman, Contributing Writer
TriVillage Energy’s May 3 Energy Fair attracted nearly 500 people despite the cold and wet weather and a last minute move indoors.
Forty-five exhibitors and vendors crowded into both floors of the Town Hall to display wiser-energy products and services. Fourteen local farmers made connections with, and sales to, grateful shoppers. Speakers shared information on positive solutions to our challenging energy future. Demonstrations showed ways to increase local self-reliance in food, fuel, and clothing.
“Despite the miserable cold and wet weather, we were delighted with the crowds all day,” according to Jill Robinson of the TriVillage Committee that sponsored the fair. “Actually, the bad weather may have helped the crowd by taking away some other options for a Saturday in May!”
Kids of all ages made “art from trash” and solar hot dog cookers, and learned to plant seeds. The Boy Scouts and Blackwatch Farm kept everyone supplied with free grass fed, organic beef hot dogs. High school bands battled, and contra dancers swung their new friends.
The Petroleum Free Parade, though dampened, was unhampered by the nasty weather and great fun for participants and observers alike.
Nine big-hearted homeowners opened their homes and explained such features as passive solar heat, photovoltaic and micro-hydro electricity generation, use of on-site and natural materials, and radiant floor heat. Thanks to the generosity of local businesses, exhibitors, and vendors, almost everyone went home with free CFL light bulbs and many attendees went home with better-energy items won in the massive penny auction.
Reviews from the comment box included “Truly amazing--much bigger than I ever imagined it would be” and “A great event – educational and fun, with good shopping opportunities for local foods and environmentally friendly goods.”
“The Fair was a huge and spectacular success,” according to Robinson, “and TriVillage Energy thanks everyone who helped make the Fair such a success. We could not have done it without you!”
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