SPECIAL SPONSORED SECTION
For more than 100,000 Minnesotans over the last eight years, the Living Green Expo has become an annual spring tradition and the place to learn about the latest in healthy and sustainable living. One of the largest and most successful events of its kind, the free family- friendly event runs May 1 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and May 2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the grandstand building at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds.
Expo attractions include exhibits, food, demonstrations, music, and activities for the whole family. This year’s Expo features a Gubernatorial Forum focusing on clean water, clean energy, and Minnesota’s future.
More than 250 exhibitors of products, services and information will be present at the two-day event, alongside workshops and demonstrations on a variety of sustainability and green living topics. New this year: a series of eco-lounges where panels of experts answer questions on topics ranging from green remodeling to organic gardening.
Admission is free! Secure bike storage is available and Metro Transit offers free rides to the Expo using the Go Greener Pass. Free Blue Sky Guides will be available to the first 200 visitors each day. Visit www.livinggreenexpo.mn for more information on giveaways, exhibitors, workshops, and activities.
Expo Highlights
Live the Outdoors:
Learn to green your lawn and garden at this year’s Expo. More than 20 exhibitors, workshops, experts and backyard displays teach about cold frames and greenhouses, organic lawn care, rain gardens, sustainable gardening, recycled patio furniture, composting, and more. Whether you have a condo balcony or a multi-acre lot, you’ll find something for your outdoor space.
Bring the Family:
The Expo offers fun for kids and parents alike. An entire section of the Expo is dedicated to kids’ activities. It includes interactive exhibits, special guests, entertainment, and many opportunities to roll up sleeves and dig into hand-on projects. Parents have access to experts and resources that can advise on how to raise healthy children.
Eat Healthy and Sustainable Foods:
Sustainable eating is again a staple for this year’s event. The Local Foods Stage features local chefs and food-makers demonstrating recipes that use local, seasonal foods. Food vendors offer an array of delicious items for sale. And workshops and demos cover popular topics like eating on a budget and canning and preserving foods.
Save Energy and Money:
Here, more than 20 energy-related exhibitors demonstrate smart energy conservation with products and ideas that can help save energy and reduce costs. Learn more about how water heater blankets, plug-in outlet insulators, solar attic fans, clothes drying racks, and simple-to-install day lighting systems can help you save on your electricity, heating, and cooling bills. Workshops educate about renewable energy, energy saving tips, home energy audits, and federal stimulus options.
Greening Your Home:
Today’s economic challenges have many looking at ways to reuse or remodel homes, or ways that “green homes” can create long-term savings for both the pocketbook and the earth. The Expo offers a wide variety of information about green design, construction, remodeling, and interior housework. Exhibits focus on geothermal heating and cooling systems, roofing options, energy efficient windows, and green building materials.
Go Places:
In addition to providing free transportation to the fair with Metro Transit Go Greener Passes, the Expo provides the latest on green and cost-saving transportation options and shrinking carbon footprints, whether on foot, bike, bus, or car. Exhibitors and workshops include new green car options and resources for alternative means of getting around.
