“Eat, think and be merry” at the 2007 GreenFest Philly on Sept. 9. This year the annual street festival is bigger, better and greener than ever, bursting with environmentally concerned exhibits, artists, shows, concerts, games and speakers.

Created and run by the Philadelphia-based Urban Green Partnership, GreenFest orients around the idea that responsible living is not necessarily an inconvenience and is not just for the “environmental crowd.”

“The idea behind GreenFest and Urban Green is to show a new kind of lifestyle that is accessible to everyone,” said Stu Jerue, who is a festival planner. “We promote sustainable practices and products that are for everyone.”

Some of the more interesting events include organic knitting, a bike-folding tournament, an organic pie-eating contest and a socially responsible fashion show. An actual green wedding will take place.

There will also be booths and exhibits promoting and discussing issues like wind power, organic and fair trading, green building, alternative fuels and eco-vacations.

Philadelphia mayoral candidate Michael Nutter is on the schedule of speakers. Senator Hillary Clinton is also listed as a possible speaker.

This festival is ideal for college students because it is free, educational and fun. “We believe the new generation needs to be educated about environmentalism because they are the future,” Jerue said. “College students who attend the festival can learn about changes that need to be made, and plus, it’s a good time.”

The good green fun will happen on South Street between its intersections with 7th and 11th Streets, and will go from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information, check out greenfestphilly.org.

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