August 14 event will highlight sustainable living and innovation in Allegheny County

Contact:

Darla Cravotta (412) 350-4318 office (412) 292-8142 cell

PITTSBURGH — Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato today announced the lineup for the Allegheny Green & Innovation Festival, which will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 8:15 p.m. on Saturday, August 14, at the Hartwood Amphitheater. The free event will celebrate Allegheny County’s evolution to a green economy and feature ways for residents to become more sustainable in their everyday lives. The festival will be a zero-waste event and will include earth-friendly food and product vendors, crafters, green living demonstrations, musical entertainment, and children’s activities.

“The Allegheny Green & Innovation Festival is an exciting new event that will celebrate our region’s environmental and economic transformation,” said Onorato. “We are thrilled with the vendors and exhibitors that we have lined up for Saturday. Residents will be entertained and educated on how to live a ‘greener’ lifestyle. They’ll also see demonstrations of innovative technology developed right here in Southwestern Pennsylvania.”

Residents will learn simple steps to conserve energy and water in their homes from exhibitors, including Duquesne Light, Black & Gold City Goes Green, Eisler Landscapes, Equita, Fresh Heirlooms, Greater Octopus Organic Gardening, Gredja Electric LLC, P+C Replacement Windows, Pennsylvania Resource Council, Penn State Extension/Hydroponics, Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Garden, Pittsburgh Poultry Association, Pure Screenprinting, and Think Smart Insulation .

The Allegheny County Health Department, Etna Economic Development Corporation, Himalayan Institute of Pittsburgh, Penn State Extension/Nutrition, Pittsburgh Poison Center, Women for a Healthy Environment, Colteryahn Dairy, and the Rachel Carson Homestead will have demonstrations on how to live a healthy lifestyle .

Carnegie Mellon University will showcase innovative activities and demonstrations, including Tartan Racing’s “Boss,” the robotic SUV that won the 2007 DARPA Urban Grand Challenge, and its “BowGo” pogo stick developed with CMU’s robotic leg technology. The National Center for Robotics Engineering Technology Education at California University of Pennsylvania will also be on hand with demonstrations.Representatives from Vox Energy Solutions, Western Pennsylvania’s only comprehensive renewable energy solution provider for homes, will exhibit their innovative methods of delivering renewable power to residential buildings in Allegheny County.

RiverCubes will exhibit sculptures created from items retrieved from our rivers, demonstrating the importance of water quality and solid waste management. Penn State Cooperative Extension will teach residents about urban farming and urban gardens, as well as provide information on rain gardens and rain barrels. 

There will be a number of children’s activities, including Reuse-a-palooza, a program designed by Creative Reuse Pittsburgh, which will provide hands-on exploratory activities focusing on creative reuses of materials. The Pittsburgh Children’s Museum and Carnegie Science Center’s “Science on the Road” will also provide interactive programming for children, and A.W. Beattie Career Center will bring solar-powered crickets. Live animals will also be at Hartwood as Animal Friends, Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley, and ARL Wildlife Rehab League raise awareness about protecting our region’s diverse wildlife.

The Allegheny County Library Association will host a book swap where visitors can “bring a book, leave a book, need a book, take a book.” The “I Made It! Market” will have craft items made exclusively from recycled and sustainable products available for sale. While the festival is a free event, visitors are asked to bring non-perishable food items for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

The event will also feature live music from 12:15 to 8:15 p.m. The lineup is: Kelsey Friday (children’s music), 12:15-12:50 p.m. and 1:05-1:35 p.m.; Greg Joseph (folk rock), 2:00-3:15 p.m.; The Turpentiners (acoustic/blues), 3:45-5:00 p.m.; The Long Time Darlings (rock/lyrical), 5:30-6:30 p.m.; and Joe Grushecky & the House Rockers (classic rock), 7:00-8:15 p.m. 

For up to the minute information on the festival, visit the green festival website or follow us on Facebook or on Twitter.

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Allegheny Green & Innovation Festival Media Partners