One of the neighborhood’s most quirky and eco-friendly events is back this weekend, set to take over Ballard Commons Park on Saturday, Sept. 22.
It’s the 15th annual Sustainable Ballard Festival, filling the Commons from 11am to 4pm. “Eclectic, artsy, earthy, urban and committed to a better future… that’s Sustainable Ballard,” the organizers write. “Join your Ballard neighbors for creativity, passion and community-building while learning about daily practices and big steps toward more sustainable living. This year’s theme is “Find Your Path” focusing on the many ways that neighbors are connecting to improve the community.”
There will be all the markings of a fall festival, with fresh cider making and farm animals to meet, and of course plenty of workshops and hands-on games for all ages. Here’s a few of the exhibits you can expect to see:
Look into a retrofitted ambulance that serves as Washington state’s first marine wildlife emergency response unit. The ambulance is owned by Sealife Response, Rehabilitation and Research (SR3), and provides life-saving transport for marine animals. Some of the medical crew will be on site to answer questions and talk about how the ambulance works as a mobile hospital.
You can build a birdhouse at the Built Green booth, make your own paper at the Artist & Craftsman Supply, or and visit the solar trailer to learn about solar panels and make your own solar-powered kinetic art. (Here’s a rundown of the different events.)
Plenty of local businesses and neighborhood groups will be there; here’s a full list of exhibitors.
Cool event! I will be there for sure.
It’s time we talk about noise pollution in Seattle, though. We’re one of the loudest cities, and while we’ve made progress with recycling and banning plastic bags we need to tackle the health impact of excessive and unnecessary noise in our neighborhood. Leaf blowers do very little and cause enormous amounts of noise, and seem used as a “make work” tool in many cases. When I moved here 35 years ago I was delighted at the lack of leaf blowers, but now they’re used everywhere almost daily. What gives, Seattle?
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