Chicago.com
The upcoming weekend is bursting with Chicago events, from perennial favorites like the Taste of Chicago and Pride Fest to lesser-known gems Chicago Arabesque and Chicago Summerfest. But one environmentally-minded event, the Green Music Fest, is taking over West Town on Saturday and Sunday, hoping to bring Chicagoans all the festival favorites with a slightly “greener” flair.
Taking place on Chicago Ave. between Ashland and Noble, the fest will run from noon to 10 p.m. on both the 25th and 26th, featuring live music, vendors, family activities and beer booths. Sounds like just another street festival, right? But when West Town’s Chamber of Commerce and the Chicago Center for Green Technology collaborated on planning and sponsoring the event, they made sure to throw in very uniquely environmentally-conscious features. The vendor village will feature solely eco-friendly products for the urban dweller craving organic cotton tees and recycled tote bags for all those trips to Whole Foods. The beer booth will feature several craft beers in addition to big-name brews, with Magic Hat Wacko and Pyramid Haywire joining the likes of Sierra Nevada, Fat Tire and Sam Adams–all served in biodegradable plastic cups. Organizers are also offering a free bike valet, surely a clue for attendees to “go green” outside of the festival gates. Other behind-the-scenes eco-friendly features include bio-diesel fuel operated generators and increased recycling and compost options–and many more to be discovered inside the fest, I’m sure.
Not to be forgotten–”music” is in the festival’s name, after all–is programming on the fest’s two stages [Live Stage and DJ Stage], coordinated by Chicago live music venue Subterranean. Consistently booking forward-thinking talent, the venue provided this year’s festivals with 24 acts over the span of the event. I would head for The Wailers at 8 p.m. Saturday night, sharing reggae riddims 47 years strong, and to math rock Chicagoans Maps & Atlases at 5:45 p.m. on Sunday. If dancing to heavy beats is more of your style, don’t miss Klever headlining the Saturday night DJ Stage and Proper Villains spitting grimey New York hip-hop on Sunday night.
The $5 suggested donation will benefit the West Town Chicago Chamber of Commerce and encourage more eco-friendly events and improvements in the neighborhood–so while you’re sipping your summer ale and jamming any of 24 music acts, rest assured that your green is benefitting more green.
Chicago.com is now going green! If you are a “green aficionado” we need you. Cousin Vinnie and Chicago.com are giving away a $25 gift certificate to the world famous Ginger’s Ale House to the person who posts the best “Chicago green living tip.”
It’s simple, all you have to do is leave a comment on the bottom of this blog.
You have to be 21 or older to be eligible to win. That’s it! I will start you on the right path with the very first example Chicago.com
“green living tip.”
Title: Leave your Mother-in-law at home and save the environment.
Tip: Keep your vehicle free of unnecessary baggage (i.e. your boss, mother in law, Vujadin or just some trash off the floor that may be weighing down your car). 100 pounds in your vehicle will reduce your MPG by 2%. Do you like money? I know I do. Then get that crap outta your back seat and save some cash. Not only will you be helping your pocketbook, but you will also be helping reduce your carbon footprint. We can all do our little bit to help! So remember, in the legendary words of our great green frog friend, “It ain’t easy being green.”
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These days there is a lot of talk about going “local,” and with due cause. There is plenty to be said, both from an economic and an ecological standpoint, about the good done by choosing to consume food produced close to your home. But there is another kind of “local” that hasn’t been getting enough attention. Shopping locally. All over the city of Chicago there are small “green” businesses that help support your community and your planet at the same time. By choosing to do the majority of your shopping within walking distance of your apartment, you are not only saving the cost of a CTA ride/gas money(AND CO2 emissions), you gain a better understanding of our beautiful city.
Take the Edgewater neighborhood for example. Though mostly known for its relationship to Loyola University Chicago, it is also a hamlet of sustainable businesses. In under 3 square miles, Edgewater contains several businesses with green rooftops, delicious vegetarian restaurants, and even a green car rental program. If you live in Edgewater, and don’t know about these places, here is a short list.
First of all, there is the lovely (small but variety packed) grocery store, True Nature Health Foods at 6034 North Broadway. This mostly organic grocery store hosts a farmers market on Saturdays during the summer. They also grow some of their own produce (weather permitting) on their roof.
Another green roof company is Uncommon Ground, a restaurant and lounge at 1401 W Devon. One of two in the city, this location not only offers a fabulous selection of drinks at the bar, but they also host hoards of Chicago’s musical artists. Like True Nature, Uncommon Ground also holds a weekly farmer’s market (on Fridays). However, even better than True Nature, if you volunteer at one of Uncommon Ground’s sustainable workshops, you can actually get a chance to see their roof and check it out for yourself.
Another great green restaurant is Alice and Friends at 5812 North Broadway. This non-for-profit restaurant will not only fill you with both delicious food and with a sense of satisfaction that your little indulgence of eating out went to a good cause.
Here is one business you have probably already heard of, I-Go. If you can’t shack the urge to get out of the neighborhood, think about joining I-Go. This car sharing program is actually based in Edgewater! The owners of the organization began with the ecological mission to reduce the average number of miles traveled by cars in Chicago. By making it easier for Chicagoians to not own a car, many Edgewater locals have switched to only renting a car when they really need one.
This is just a short list of places to get you started shopping locally in one neighborhood. Start walking around your neighborhood today, get some exercise, and see what you can find!