A festival dedicated to sustainability education, the Green Mountain Eco Festival, is occurring now through Sunday at Mountain Creek River Resort on the Niangua River in Eldridge, Mo.
The Eco Festival, going on this weekend, is full of music, workshops and activities for all ages.
Though don’t get discouraged by the word “workshops.” Many of the workshops available to partake in at this festival include yoga, learning various types of dancing, music making and sustainability learning.
A workshop teaching organic gardening will focus on how to grow one’s own food successfully without chemicals. It will also teach permaculture design, which is a landscape approach set on mimicking natural ecology.
From Earth itself to what’s on it, other workshops will focus on how to construct buildings from eco-friendly materials, how to use hydroelectricity, how to reuse materials and produce less waste and how to collect rainwater and use it.
A human rights awareness tour will feature a fashion show of fair trade and eco-friendly apparel.
Perhaps for the more active, daily float trips down the Niangua will launch to cleanup the river, though the campground recommends reservations be made for this venture.
More than 35 musical acts will fill the weekend gracing three stages with multiple genres including rock, punk, tribute bands, reggae and a little country flair.
Staying close to the festival to take part in more than one day is another idea festival organizers have planned. On-site camping in either tents or cabins is available, as well as lodging in local motels.
Children will also have things to do with workshops geared especially toward them. Ornaments and other craft making projects are scheduled throughout the weekend, as are dancing and drum classes.
Event tickets may be purchased online or at the Mountain Creek River Resort office and range in price from $10 to $50 for single-day passes up to three-day passes. A full event pass, which covers every day of the festival, is also available for $60. Those wishing to camp must also purchase a camping pass.
For a complete list of activities, bands, schedule or to purchase tickets, visit the festival’s Web site, greenmountainecofest.com.
If you go
WHAT Green Mountain Eco Festival
WHEN Sept. 24-27
WHERE Mountain Creek River Resort on the Niangua River in Eldridge, Mo.
COST $10 and up
INFO info@greenmountainecofest.com
ONLINE greenmountainecofest.com
