Events

Are you a little too obsessed with Cirque de Soleil or sneak into Barnum & Bailey’s Circus when it comes to town? The good news is you can try the Fly School Circus Arts whether you're a professional gymnast or despise most exercise. I'm a notoriously bad athlete. Just to give you an idea, my short legs damned me to the back of the crowd and on the sidelines instead of ever being a sports captain. I've had kickball teammates tell me I'm not the best of the team but keep receiving invites to stay since I'm the fun, supportive teammate. Yet I took my nonexistent athletic ability and fear of heights, straight to the top of the trapeze. Fly School Circus Arts - My Experience Mary Kelly Rayel was nice enough to invite me to try a class. I figured it was a sustainable alternative to a typical night, so I gave my inter-Cirque-de-Soleil a shot. Find out more about the Fly School Circus Arts experience, after the jump!

Philly Farm & Food Fest is coming to the Convention Center today with hundreds of local farmers, food vendors & artisans. Although thousands in our region will gain new insights and discover new tastes, they're not the only ones who will benefit. Marilyn Anthony is Eastern Regional Director for the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA), a member-based nonprofit organization. We talked to Marilyn about how Philly Farm & Food Fest benefits PASA, Fair Food and the local community of local growers, producers & consumers: (Find out more in my Examiner article.)

Do you enjoy running, especially away from the exhaust pipes of cars and traffic? Come out for a 5K to support breathing healthy, clean air in sustainable neighborhoods and our region's overall health. The Clean Air Council's 5K Run for Clean Air is the Philadelphia's largest Earth Day Celebration. This year, the 32nd annual run is coming up on April 20th at 9 AM on MLK drive next to the Philadelphia Art Museum. The 5K Run for Clean Air is a certified-green run and zero-waste event, complete with (Find out more about the 5K and how to win FREE entry, after the jump!)

Feel like you want to get out and meet new sustainably-minded people? You're not alone. During our recent plastic bag reduction happy hour, we met a few new Philadelphians who were interested in finding green events - but had no idea how. But the weather is getting warmer and Philadelphia is kicking up its sustainable activities. How can you get outside and active? Whether you’re brand spanking new to Philadelphia have accumulated many rosters of Phillies t-shirts, we have 8 ways to meet new Philadelphians:

Philly's got a ton going on in the sustainability scene. If you haven't been out and about, here's a few excuses to get out of the house & get active:

There's a lot of talk about plastic pollution in our oceans and by plastic bags, but what is anyone doing about it? The 5 Gyres Institute is launching a Last Straw Plastic Pollution Solutions Outreach Tour, conducting beach & watershed cleanups all over the East Coast from Boston to Charleston. The 1400 mile bike tour is hitting up major cities to discuss problems (and solutions!) for the plastic plague. The 5 Gyres tour is coming to Philly on October 15 - and you won't be bummed out by their visit. (Find out more about the awesome upcoming visit and how YOU can win free stuff, after the jump!)

Eco-minded Philadelphians were graced with a picture-perfect day yesterday for GreenFest. The historic Headhouse Square was lined with rows of green businesses and non-profit organizations. It was refreshing to look around and see hundreds of like-minded people gathered in one place. Though we're constantly interacting with so many of Philadelphia's eco- activists and green companies, it's always revitalizing to chat in person. For us, much of the day was focused on discussing the Plastic Bag Ban.

This September 15th the Camden waterfront is the site of the Philadelphia Red Bull Flugtag competition. Red Bull Flugtag challenges teams of everyday people to build human-powered flying machines and pilot them off a 30-foot high deck in hopes of achieving flight! Flugtag means "flying day" in German, but typically these crafts simply splash into the waters below. But that doesn't make the event any less fun. Teams are judged not only on their flight's distance, but creativity and showmanship as well. One of the team's participating this year is a group of Rowan University students who are members of the university's environmental club. They recognized the opportunity to create an "aircraft" using upcycled materials. I spoke with team captain, Brooke Golden, to get the scoop on the team's Flugtag initiative and her team - The Filthy English Kuh-Knights.

Your rooms may look beautiful and spankin’ new, but there’s a wee bit of paint left over.  So readers, what can you do with that unused paint cans?