The Suffolk Times

Updated: 8/6/2009 - 4:04 AM

Good times going green
East End GreenFest celebrates the fun in green technology
BY BRIDGET DEGNAN |CONTRIBUTOR 0 comments below

The Mondays

What do African dancers, edgy music, local farmstands, 120 vendors, and a solar powered "sunshack" have in common?

They're all green.

The first annual East End GreenFest is taking a new approach to the classic problem of human wastefulness this August, celebrating green technology with what Syd Dufton, the festival's organizer, calls "edutainment."

Josh Hailey photo
Jaden South: Deborah DeLoach (left) and Jessica Draper

"It's going to be something people haven't seen before," said Mr. Dufton, a Cutchogue resident who began planning the GreenFest last year with his wife, Deborah. "We want to educate people on how they can make their lives greener by having fun. You learn much better when you're laughing and having a good time."

The event, featuring everything from hands-on demonstrations to speakers from environmental organizations and even a full showcase of the world's most popular hybrid cars, will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. this Saturday and Sunday at the Strawberry Fields Fairgrounds in Mattituck. Tickets are $3 for adults; children under 12 are admitted free.

"This is not a political thing," Mr. Dufton said. "There's nothing behind this. We're just a local couple that's into green technology. We want to teach people about it."

'It's going to be something people haven't seen before.' Syd Dufton, GreenFest organizer

YUKARI ROJA

During the festival, local and national bands will perform original music on Long Island's first and only solar-powered stage, courtesy of the "sunshack" from Go Solar in Riverhead. While listening, attendees can roam the grounds, exploring green-friendly wares offered by local vendors or enjoying any number of the just-for-fun attractions, including a contortionist, a face painter, and a hula hoop instructor.

Different environmental companies will be holding 20-minute seminars at the center of the grounds throughout the day.

"We want people to say, 'Hey, look -- I can put a solar panel right on the side of my house,'" Mr. Dufton said. "We want them to learn how to keep the beaches clean and to think about keeping the environment safe, buying local, supporting local wineries and farm stands. That's all part of being green."

Infinite Roots African Drum and Dance

The entire event, with the exception of only 20 vendors using biodiesel electricity, will be solar powered -- and there's no plan B. If the sun doesn't shine, the show will still go on.

"There's no rain day," Mr. Dufton said. "We're going to run the event rain or shine. Solar companies can store enough power in the panels to run for a day, and for the next day, we can use the biodiesel generator."

Live music will include performances by Jaden South, the Mondays, Reality Addiction, Infinite Roots African Drum and Dance, Yukari Roja and Nina Tollins. Susan Blacklocke, a resident of Southold, will be practicing poi, an ethnic Maori art related to juggling. Guests are encouraged to bring a can of food for donation to the Harry Chapin Food Bank.

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