April 1, 2019                         
            
Media Contacts:
Mark Miller, Administrator, Office of Public Information, 410-313-2022 
Alan Wilcom, Bureau of Environmental Services, 410-313-6444

ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Government will host its 12th annual GreenFest on Saturday, April 13 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Howard Community College’s (HCC) Science, Engineering and Technology Building (SET), 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia. This free event offers something for all ages, featuring exhibits, demonstrations, workshops, outdoor activities and practical tips for easy ways to “green” your home, workplace and lifestyle. 

“GreenFest is an opportunity to build a brighter future by empowering and educating our community about the environment and protecting our planet,” said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball. “I am so proud to live in a community that is passionate about our environment and spending time outdoors.”

As Howard County’s largest annual celebration of Earth Day, the event aims to connect residents with the resources that our local businesses, nonprofits and government provide to help anyone be a good steward of the environment. This year’s theme, “Science and Our Environment” offers attendees the opportunity to become more actively engaged in their local environment and community.

GreenFest 2019 will host approximately 70 vendors, including solar companies, environmental nonprofits and government agencies, and the popular native plant sale. There will be informational workshops on topics such as addressing backyard habitat landscaping and where plastic pollution and climate change intersect, a rain barrel workshop, and other learning opportunities. Attendees can also learn about local wildlife, including close up experiences with live birds, reptiles and other animals in the Wildlife Room. Electric cars and their owners will be on site to discuss their experiences with electric vehicles.  

In the main exhibit hall at noon, Howard County Recycling Division will honor local businesses and community organizations by presenting its yearly “Business Recycling and Waste Reduction” and “Green Community Leadership” awards. 

Also, back by popular demand is the FREE shredding event, where residents can shred up to three bags or boxes of paper documents per person from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (or until the trucks are full) in Parking Lot C. 

This year the Repair Café is also back again and will be hosted by HCC SET/Transition Howard County. Registered visitors can bring in broken items from home, such as toasters, lamps, clothes, bicycles, toys or electronics. Volunteer repair specialists will evaluate the items and fix as many as they can for free, and can also provide advice about items too large to bring along. To register, email [email protected] to let the Repair Café gurus know what you plan to bring. In addition, Columbia Community Exchange Time Bank will be hosting Fix It workshops throughout the day for the do it yourself crowd.

New this year, attendees will find two exhibits, “Trash to Treasure” and “Ephemeral Nature Art,” by Chiara D’Amore on the SET building’s second floor and then on the southside steps, Jacob Panic will be providing musical entertainment with his banjo.

Attendees are encouraged to think green with their means of transportation to this year’s event. Consider walking, carpooling, biking or using public transportation. There are bike racks located throughout HCC’s campus and Regional Transportation Agency (RTA) will be running its normal route from Columbia Town Center to HCC throughout the day. For RTA route information and schedule, call its customer service line at 1-800-270-9553 or visit www.transitrta.com

For more information and the day’s event schedule, visit www.HCGreenFest.org or contact Alan Wilcom, GreenFest Co-chair, at 410-313-6444 or email [email protected].

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