“Have you been to Eco-Opolis?” a woman asked me as I leaned in to look at a miniature green city complete with recycled soap bottle skyscrapers and strawberry basket fences. The set-up was part of a phalanx of carnival booths with very green themes — just one part of this year’s Earth Day Festival in Civic Center Plaza.
The amount of recycled art that peppered the grounds in front of San Francisco’s city hall was quite impressive, from ornate altars made of orange peels and bottle caps to adorable burlap fish friends. Beyond the art, there were booths galore with demos on solar power water heating, hip recycled glassware by Bottle Hood and to die for raw vegan chocolates by Sacred Chocolate.
And for those looking for something a little more experiential there was the sound therapy booth, where one could sit within a circle of gongs and feel the vibrations, or get one could get dirty and learn how to build using straw bales. I’ve got to give a shout-out to the two gals running the Teens Turning Green booth, who were working to educate their cohort on the dangers of toxins in so many products that teens love to use.
There was definitely a encouraging mood throughout the whole event, which made me feel positive that one day, we’ll all be able to live in Eco-Opolis.