Well, after months of preparation, a few disagreements and lots of sleepless nights….the day of the Green Fair finally arrived!  And Mother Nature smiled upon us with a beautiful sunny day!  The Charleston Green Fair had two missions.  The first was to present a large outdoor event in Charleston that diverted a significantly larger amount of waste from the land fill than was typical for other similar events in the Lowcountry.  In order to achieve this level of “greening” we felt it was important to hire Seven Star Events, a company who has been producing green events for eight years.  In addition, they guaranteed at least an 85% waste diversion from the landfill.  We are excited to announce that we exceeded our goal by diverting over 94% of our waste from Charleston’s landfills.  While this was NOT an easy task; we were able to show that through advance planning and the support of additional volunteers…it can be done!

Our second mission was to bring together residents of the Lowcountry with the local businesses that can assist them in living a “greener”, less wasteful life.  Showcasing ideas and sharing knowledge that would allow ANYONE (not just “greenies), to contribute towards a more sustainable world.  As a first year FREE event we relied on sponsors and exhibitor booth fees to offset our costs.  We were delighted at the response from local independent businesses who made up more than 80% of our total exhibitors and helped to sell out our day.  In addition to our exhibitors and food vendors, we also spotlighted 17 inspiring non-profit organizations and showcased the diverse talents of more than 20 speakers and musicians.

While the bands were a popular attraction, it was gratifying to see the level of interest in the speakers and non-profit organizations.  Jamee Haley, the Director of Lowcountry Local First sent me this email:

“I just wanted to let you know what a GREAT job you all did with the Green Fair.  As a participant I was thrilled with the response and as a member of this community I was thinking it’s about time!!!  It was great to see people wander through the non-profit tent and be actually interested in what it is we are doing.  We are asked to do so many things like this and so often it feels like we are just a fixture.  I was so energized by the crowd and all the great things that are starting to come together here in Charleston.  Thank you for taking on such a huge project and congratulations on a job well done!”

While having 5000 “mostly” enthusiastic attendees was thrilling, it is encouraging to know that your participants, most of who donated time and/or money to be there, felt it was well worth their investment and are looking forward to next year.
We especially must again thank our sponsors, without whom this day really would not have been possible.  They believed in us when many others turned us down and I am excited to have their involvement in 2009!  We are also so appreciative to the City of Charleston, who sponsored our event and supported us throughout.  Especially Mayor Riley and The Charleston Green Committee, who came out the day of to volunteer and in Mayor Riley’s case walked from home to say a few words and show his support.  It really meant something to showcase Charleston’s commitment to green in Marion Square Park and that would have never been possible without the determination of Carolee Williams and James Meadors and the blessing of Matt Compton.  There are many others who helped us in this process, but none deserve more recognition than the  City Parks and Rec employees.  Sean Snyder and his awesome crew, worked ridiculous hours on very little sleep to help us with our set up and take down.

While we are already looking for ways we can improve next year; overall the turnout was incredible and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive,  we have started planning for next year and I am grateful for any feedback that will assist us in becoming a signature event in Charleston that both businesses and residents look forward to being a part of!