|
Inspired by the success and accolades for the 2008 "Greenest County Fair On Earth," we want to integrate
and celebrate environmental stewardship at the 2009 Marin County Fair. We want to create a model of the
eco-friendly world to come, moving the fair towards the County of Marin goal to create a sustainable future.
Below you will find a review of everything we plan to do in 2009 to green this community celebration:
|
 |
Sun Power
744 Schott Solar photovoltaic panels are installed on the roof of the Exhibit Hall building to catch sun rays, generating 40% of the fairgrounds annual kilowatt usage. The entire Marin County Fair captures sunshine (and converts the rays into electricity) all five days during the fair, and year-round!
Read more. |
|
Solar Carousel
Powered by community partner, Pacific Gas & Electric, the fair will present the first solar-powered carousel at a county fair. Thanks to the large solar array and lighting retrofit by Butler Amusements, this Americana Carousel — featuring 18 jumping horses and one Columbia chariot — will be ready to carry 40 passengers.
Read more. |
|
Solar Stage
The Ben & Jerry’s Solar Stage, the first solar-powered stage at a county fair, is powered by Pacific Gas & Electric and will soak up the sun to run the stage sound and LED lighting systems.
Read more. |
|
Bio Fuels Power Concerts
Thanks to a brand new green generator from Cresco, the Play Fair Pavilion concert stage will be powered by 99% vegetable oil biodiesel. This generator kicks out 105 KW to run the entire sound and lighting system for the main stage.
Read more. |
|
Food and Beverages
All concessionaires include healthy food choices on their menus and use biodegradable or compostable containers and flatware. They work with the Conservation Corps North Bay, Marin Sanitary Service, and Revolutionary Green for the collecting of food waste and recyclable products.
Read more. |
|
Composting and Recycling Services
The Conservation Corps North Bay, Marin Sanitary Service, and Revolutionary Green will staff, monitor and collect from composting and recycling stations throughout the Fair.
Read more. |
|
Eco Entertainment
The Fair presents educational, inspiring and entertaining artists, including the Recycle Cycle, Hot Buttered Rum, Walking Treeman, Steve Trash and his Big Green Magic Show, Green Plasterman, Rawhide Express Train, and Betty Biodiesel.
Read more. |
|
Competitive Exhibits
Highlights of the new green competitions added in 2009 in the Exhibit Hall include Decorated Bicycles, Second Time Around Container Gardens, Wheelbarrow Gardens, Haiku Poetry, Play Green Toys, Growing Green Photographs, Brighten a Life, Wind Songs and Making Music.
Read more. |
|
Innovative Exhibits
These new hands-on, interactive educational exhibits and demonstrations will showcase sustainable themes:
Victory Garden, using compost collected at the 2008 fair; Marin County Farmers Market, celebrating local agricultural products and cooking; and the Play Fair Fun Fest, returning with games and activities to create a greener, healthier community.
Read more. |
|
Signs
Fair signage is made of recyclable and reusable materials.
Read more. |
|
Exhibit Installation
The Fair strives to adopt eco-friendly measures by using environmentally friendly cleaning products, reusable skirting linens, low-wattage halogen track lighting, and recycled display walls for competitive exhibits.
Read more. |
|
Harnessing the Wind
The propeller-free Windspire vertical turbine serves as a leading-edge renewable energy demonstration project and showcases the future of wind energy.
Read more. |
|
Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency is proving to be a clean and cost-effective eco-innovation at the Fair and throughout the Marin Center.
Read more. |
|
Saving Water
Thanks to rebates from the Marin Municipal Water District, 23 new Sloan Waterfree Urinals are now installed in the five men’s restrooms of the Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium and Exhibit Hall buildings and 1.6-gallon toilet fixtures have been installed in all fairgrounds restrooms. Fair guests will be encouraged to bring their reusable water bottles, refillable at seven water fountains on the fairgrounds.
Read more. |
|
Water Efficient Landscaping
Partnering with the Department of Parks and Open Space, the Fair uses recycled water for landscaping and for the new restroom facilities at the Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium and Lagoon Park. Landscape management includes irrigation with control clocks that predict temperature, wind, soil and planting conditions.
Read more. |
|
All Electric Wheels
The new Electric Wheels Car Show will present an exciting “all electric” collection of clean-air, energy-efficient vehicles, highlighted by unique cars built by Bay Area home engineers.
Read more. |
|
Pedal to the Fair
Fair guests can cycle to the fairgrounds and park their bikes for free in the Bicycle Valet Parking area near the Main Gate, courtesy of the Marin County Bicycle Coalition.
Read more. |
|
Green Fairgrounds Covering
Brocco and Sons of Sonoma use an earth-friendly and pedestrian-friendly dust control product from the salt ponds of the San Francisco Bay to cover six acres on the fairgrounds.
Read more. |
|
The Barnyard Goes Green
The Fair will use white pine wood shavings as bedding and ground cover in the demonstration tent, on the Ham Bone Express pig-racing track, and in the cages in the Fur and Feathers Tent.
Read more. |
|
Paperless Portal
Sign up for the Marin County Fair (and Marin Center) E-News at www.marinfair.org to save paper!
Read more. |
|
Printing
The Fair prints fair publications with recycled post-consumer paper content, and the Fair issue of Marin Center Magazine is produced with a new zero-emissions printing process, with recycled paper content and non-toxic UV inks.
Read more. |
|
Awards Getting Greening
Thousands of Marinites receive trophies, plaques and blue, red and green ribbons as recognition of achievement. This year many of the special awards will be made with recycled glass. Ribbons will be made of processed wood pulp.
Read more. |
|
Green Partners
A long list of public agencies, non-profit organizations and companies guide and support the ongoing efforts of the Marin County Fair to incorporate sustainable business practices.
Read more. |
|
An Organic Conversation with Helge Hellberg
Marin resident Helge Hellberg, Executive Director of Marin Organic, will launch An Organic Conversation, a weekly radio show on Clear Channel’s affiliate Green 960 (Green 960AM, or www.Green960.com), featuring groundbreaking initiatives and ecology-based thinking in the organic food and holistic health movement.
Read more. |
|
Becoming a Green Campus
The 50-acre Marin County Fairgrounds joined the Bay Area Green Business Program and became certified in April 2008. Staff works with the Community Development Agency Sustainability Team to select and record measures and develop policies and programs that will help make the Marin County Fair healthy, vibrant and sustainable for many generations into the future.
Read more. |
|
|
