All Exhibits Open
Stop by the welcome tent for a free gift & door prize entry!
Complete exhibitor listing

Recycling Boutique Open
Drop off your recyclables and learn how many of these items are reused and  how many items will benefit local and international charities. Kids can participate in an educational activity!
Complete list of accepted recyclables

Zen Garden Activity
Speaker: Liz Stanislav

Create a Japanese influenced dry landscape "Zen Garden" and learn how rock gardens are not only beautiful botanical works of art but also environmentally friendly.

Presented by Lizzadro Museum.

10:00am-11:00am
Green Games Area

10:30am - 12pm
Main Tent

Cool Cities Presents Project GREEN: Cutting Home Energy Usage and Improving Comfort on a Budget You Can Afford

Panelists: Laura Reedy Stukel, co-chair of Project GREEN; Sue Williams, co-chair of Project GREEN; Lindy Wordlaw, project lead for Chicago Climate Action Report; and Susan Rose, 3rd Ward alderman.

This panel will help you understand current and future green initiatives in Elmhurst.  Learn about Elmhurst's recent Energy & Emissions Profile which shows that the typical home in Elmhurst uses 18% more energy than the average home in Chicagoland.  The Center for Neighborhood Technology prepared the report and will explain the findings. Project GREEN is a budget-friendly approach to make your home more comfortable while you cut your energy bills and make Elmhurst a cooler place to live!  Alderman Susan Rose will discuss city policies that help residents make sustainable changes to their homes and reduce their energy usage.

 Presented by Elmhurst Cool Cities Coalition, Center for Neighborhood Technology and City of Elmhurst.

Water: The Key to Sustainable Design
Speaker: Jim Patchett, founder and president of Conservation Design Forum

Overview of the scientific principles, functions, and relationships between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems; land and water resource impacts associated with contemporary urban, suburban, and rural agricultural land use practices; sustainable planning design, development, and long-term systems management practices in built and natural environments; sustainable water management "green infrastructure" practices; and case studies applying sustainable development practices.

11:00am - 12:00pm
Activity Tent

Goin' Green Art Workshop: Create a Windsock
Hosted by Splatters Create & Party co-owner Missy Pittman

Kids can join in a fun Goin' Green activity:  Create-a-Wind Sock made out of paper towel tubes and embellished with ribbons, paint and glitter.

11:00am - 12:00pm
Green Games Area

Soccer

12:00pm - 1:00pm
Main Tent

Earth Day Every Day
Live folk music by Anna Stange

Anna uses her collection of handmade & recycled instruments to engage children & families in songs about the natural world around them and how they can "help" the earth.  Everyone gets into the show by singing, playing instruments, and becoming a group "rainbow".  Fun for the whole family.

Tai Chi

1:00pm - 2:00pm
Main Tent

Home Performance: A Systems Approach
Speaker: Jeff Sommer

Learn the science behind how your home performs! The interaction of air leakage, pressure, moisture, heat flow, and air quality can combine to help or hurt the performance of insulation, windows, lighting, appliances, and HVAC systems. Between all of the home performance products and services available today, it can be easy to spend more than you planned on items that might not perform as advertised. Jeff Sommer will answer your questions and provide the resources to move forward with your home improvement or building projects.

Presented by Green Dream Group.

Rain Barrels & Composting Workshop
Speaker: Deborah Scroggins

Learn to green your garden with composters and rain barrels.  Composting is a great way to reduce what you send to landfills, at the same time producing FREE, non-toxic fertilizer.  You’ll learn easy composting techniques suitable for booth indoors and outdoors. Rain barrels also cut down on consumption and the costs of keeping a garden.  Learn the many uses of a rain barrel, how to install one on your home and how they make your plants happier than treated water.

Presented by Green Home Experts.

1:00pm - 2:00pm
Elmhurst Public Library
Meeting Rm.2

Great White Shark Adventure
Speakers: Wayne and Karen Brown

1:00pm - 2:00pm
Green Games Area

 Bags

Green Living 101: 10 Simple Changes Every Family Can Make
Speaker: Tracey Bianchi

Overwhelmed and exhausted by going green? Wondering where to start making sense of the “eco-trends” in our culture today? Stop by and explore simple, cost-effective strategies for preserving the planet that you can begin doing today. Explore the links between your shopping, eating, and driving habits and our shared planet. Simple. Doable. Guilt-Free.

Permaculture: Creative Sustainability
Speaker: Ron Nowicki

In conjunction with Elmhurst Green Fest, Ron Nowicki, a local landscape architect, will share his thirty years of experience designing sustainable sites that conserve energy and resources, increase biodiversity and teach the wonders and beauty of nature.  There will be a special emphasis on grass lawn reduction and the creative use of stone.

Bike Maintenance Workshop
Speaker: Matt Poole

An overview of basic bike maintenance,including the ABC Quick Check, tire repair, routine maintenance, and tools for the road.

Presented by Elmhurst Park District.

2:00pm-3:00pm
Meet at Activity Tent

Nature Walk in Wilder Park
Speaker: Karen Ritter

Explore the flora and fauna Wilder Park with an expert.

Presented by Karen's Nature Tales.