MIDDLEBURY — The Addison County Relocalization Network (ACORN) and the Acorn Energy Co-op will present the first-ever Sustainable Living Expo on Saturday, March 29, at Middlebury Union High School, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Sustainable Living Expo builds on the success of the previous Green Energy Expos, which were attended by nearly 1,000 residents and local business people.
“The purpose of the Sustainable Living Expo is to inspire each other to explore, design and create a vibrant, self-sustaining future, rooted in ourselves, our communities, and in nature,” said managing director Elizabeth Golden-Pidgeon. “We expect over 1,000 people to participate in this unique opportunity to share ideas, network, plan for the future, and access the tools and materials needed to create a vibrant sustainable future in our beautiful Champlain Valley.”
The Expo will feature over 100 exhibits and nearly 40 workshops, as well as a major keynote speaker, a video festival, lively music, theatrical performances and local foods. The attendance fee is $2 for adults, students, and children over 12, $1 for children under 12, and $5 for families.
Interactive Workshops
Organizers said the Expo will offer innovative and interactive workshops that deepen our understanding of sustainable living, covering the following areas: Food and Farming, Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy, Transport and the Digital Economy, Home and Gardening, Health and Well-Being, and Nature and Wilderness.
Organizers are now accepting workshop proposals. Anyone who wishes to offer a workshop is asked to complete by Feb. 14 the Workshop Proposal found on the website http://acornvt.org/sle2014.
Demonstrations, Products and Services
The number of available exhibit areas has been doubled over the past Expos to accommodate the greater diversity of products and services that support sustainable living. In addition, the Sustainable Living Expo is encouraging community service and non-profit organizations, as well as new businesses, to participate by offering very low rates for the corridor tables.
Exhibit rates range from $30 for a corridor table, $50 for a Farm and Food Hall booth, $100 for an 8×6 booth, to $150 for a 10×10 booth in the Main Exhibit Hall. Exhibitors will include farmers, educators, renewable energy product suppliers and installers, health providers, designers, builders, conservationists, students, plant suppliers, financiers, artists, and community service organizations.
Additional programming includes off-site tours, a student poster gallery, art displays, a children’s playroom, videos that inspire innovation, lively music, festive performances, raffles, and delicious local foods throughout the day.
For information on becoming an exhibitor at the Sustainable Living Expo, go to the website www.acornvt.org/sle2014 or contact Elizabeth Golden-Pidgeon at [email protected].
Volunteers Needed
Anyone who would like to volunteer to help make this event a success is invited to do so. The Expo needs people to set up, post signs, monitor workshops, troubleshoot, assist in the children’s playroom, and clean up. Volunteers receive free admission to the event, custom t-shirts and a great experience! People who have a few hours to spare and want to be part of the excitement, are asked to fill out a Volunteer Form on  the website: www.acornvt.org/sle2014.
The Sustainable Living Expo would not be possible without support from sponsors including Cooperative Insurance, GMP Innovation Center, Efficiency Vermont, Middlebury College, National Bank of Middlebury, VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations, SunCommon and Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund.
For more information on the Sustainable Living Expo, go to http://acornvt.org/sle2014.