By Jean Ponzi
Saturday, September 24, 9am-5pm Missouri Botanical Garden
Celebrate sustainable living and explore ways to maintain your personal and family health – and a healthy planet. This event combines features gathered since 2002 as the EarthWays Green Homes Festival with three years of the Garden’s Healthy Planet-Healthy You Festival. The day will be packed with useful resources – and family fun!
Bring your home improvement ideas and talk with over 100 green product and service exhibitors. Talk one-on-one with Washington University physicians and other experts about a variety of health issues and cancer prevention tips. One of this event’s best features is that presenters are eager to discuss your projects and questions, and provide local resources you can really use. There’s something for everyone, of all ages.
Enjoy local foods, live music and shopping the Green Marketplace. Help paint a Metro bus with artist Genevieve Esson. Join guided sessions of yoga, tai chi, zumba and other popular fitness activities. Take advantage of free health screenings, get your annual mammogram (advance scheduling required by calling 800-600-3606), sample from healthy-cooking demos, and explore the giant inflatable human colon. Let natural-health advocates help you revitalize in the Relax and Renew Oasis.
Kids can build and race a solar car, enjoy stories and puppet shows and make art from recycled tiles and other materials. Snap your photo with costumed recycling characters and rock out with the Radio Disney Rockin’ Road Crew.
Bike to the Garden and let Trailnet’s Bike Valet tend your green wheels. Bring your own bicycle helmet or buy a new one for only $8, with custom helmet fittings provided by St. Louis Children’s Hospital.
Curious about electric and green-fueled rides? The Alternative Vehicle Show lets you talk with owners about the performance of their personal cars, trucks and business utility vehicles.
Learn from 15 expert workshops and talks covering cancer prevention to backyard beekeeping, compost to healthy food options, alternative vehicles to green homebuilding – and much more! These informative sessions begin on the hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the complete schedule posted online and at the event.
The Green Homes and Great Health Festival is brought to you by the Garden’s EarthWays Center with Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine. Presented by Ameren Missouri. Sponsors include the Carpeneters’ District Council, Children’s Hospital, Laclede Gas, the YMCA, The Healthy Planet and others.
It’s all included with regular Garden admission, free for Garden members, kids 12 and under, and for St. Louis City and County residents until noon.
For a list of exhibitors, times and other details visit www.greenhomesSTL.org.
See you at the Garden on September 24 at the Green Homes and Great Health Festival!