The day we've been preparing for and anticipating a long time is just about here. Isthmus Green Day takes place this Saturday, April 26, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Monona Terrace. To help you prepare for the event, we've included The Complete Festival Guide with this week's Isthmus.
Our cover story this week, "Farm Fresh," by features editor Kenneth Burns, delves into the local food movement, healthily represented in the Madison area by burgeoning CSA (community supported agriculture) groups and advocates such as REAP, with their "Buy Fresh, Buy Local" initiative. It nicely complements a large portion of the Green Day program that concerns itself with sustainable food policy.
A featured speaker at Green Day is restaurateur Nora Pouillon, who started her Washington, D.C. Restaurant Nora in 1979 as a vanguard institution in the movement to cook with local, fresh ingredients when possible. After her address, Pouillon will be available in a private setting to meet with a small group of the food-inspired. A separate ticket is required for that event.
Another featured speaker is Kenneth Brown, a nationally noted authorityin the area of interior design. Brown, Louisiana-bred and L.A.-based, is host of the HGTV program redesign. He, too, will be accessible to a small group with the purchase of a separate ticket. Tickets can be acquired at our website, TheDailyPage.com/green; they will also be available at the event.
There will be speakers from the community talking about their sustainable practices. Susan Schmitz, president of Downtown Madison Inc., commutes to work by bicycle. She'll tell you how she manages it and what rewards she reaps. Jon Foley, UW's Gaylord Nelson Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Atmospheric and Oceanic Studies, will address the universal impact of global warming and what can be done about it. Sam Breidenbach, president of TDS Custom Construction, will talk on the topic of building green.
At Green Day you'll learn about hybrid vehicles, maybe even drive one, from sponsor Toyota. Madison Metro, another sponsor, will have one of their new hybrid buses on hand. There will be other speakers and demonstrations during the day, on two stages, and more than 100 exhibitors to enlighten you about the green aspects of their businesses or organizations. There will even be "green" entertainment. Who could be greener than the Kissers?
But why hear it from me? Check out the Festival Guide for the site map, the schedule and descriptions of all the exhibitors. Come on over to Monona Terrace after the farmers' market or Crazylegs Run or whatever you're doing Saturday morning, and get with the green.
