Green Living Festival Expands Purpose, Moves to May in Rochester

Green living means more than recycling and cutting back on water usage.

It’s a way of life that benefits our physical health, the community’s health, the environment and the economy, according to organizers of the , to be held May 13-15 in downtown Rochester.

The event, which began as the Earth Day Expo at in 2006, has grown to more than 50,000 attendees and 200 exhibitors, making it one of the nation’s largest green events.

Now called the Green Living Festival, the event has expanded its focus beyond Earth Day activities to a weekend observance of the quality of life that green living offers. Among the changes are new exhibitors demonstrating eco-friendly products, added wellness and green-living programs, more celebrities and musical headliners, plus special events such as media-sponsored contests.

“We’re focusing on a celebration, not just education, about what green living is," said John Batdorf, president of the MI Green Team, which coordinates the event. This is the third year the event has been held downtown.

"We want to leverage the ‘green opportunity’ for a healthier life.” 

Batdorf said exhibits and activities will demonstrate how all aspects of green living are connected – individual health, environmental health and economic health – within a community.

Festival organizers expect up to 100,000 visitors, partly because moving the event from Earth Day (April 22) to May will avoid holiday and vacation breaks, making it easier for people to attend, and will improve prospects for warmer weather.

In addition, the new location in downtown Rochester will provide ample room for more exhibitors, events and parking.

“Downtown Rochester will allow us to broaden the agenda of the event and change the layout,” Batdorf said. “It will improve foot traffic, as the venues and tents can be closer together.

"We’re also hoping to bring in some high-level media partners as well as big-name musical headliners," he said. "In addition, we’d like to expand the benefits of the festival for local schools.”

Technology also has made its way into the festival. Mobile phone GPS systems will allow visitors to access online event guides, maps and exhibitor schedules, although some printed event information will still be available, Batdorf said.

The festival will mainly take place in the field near .

It is designed to have something for everyone, including:

• Charity preview party, 7 p.m. May 12 at

• Trail race, 1o a.m. May 14

• Parade and rally through downtown Rochester, 10 a.m. May 15

Ongoing events throughout the festival will include:

• Kids Corner with crafts, a portable farm and fun activities
• Products and service demonstrations, including massage, yoga and green/wellness products
• Organic farm exhibitors highlighting local products
• Displays of leading technology, such as renewable energy systems and hybrid or electric vehicles
• Art fair
• Green Leader Award presentation

Batdorf said organizers hope the festival will be a fun experience for visitors while expanding their knowledge of how green living can be easily incorporated into daily life.

“(As a population), the way we’ve been doing things is not good for the economy. Green living helps us both in the short term and long term – in our own lives and in the lives of our community. It’s all connected,” he said, explaining that buying local products is better for our health and better for the economy because it keeps prices down, uses less fuel for transportion of goods and often provides more local jobs.

“It is really a matter of quality of life for everyone,” Batdorf said.

Registration for sponsors and exhibitors interested in participating in the festival is now open. Festival organizers are also accepting Green Leader Award nominations. Interested parties should visit migreenteam.com or contact Janice Rex-Weaver, MI Green Team member services manager, at janice@migreenteam.com or call 248-808-3601.