San Diego Earthworks and 400 volunteers held the San Diego Earth Fair in Balboa Park with sights, smells, and spirituality on display today. I wouldn’t doubt the numbers that are said to attend- upwards of 50-70,000 people are estimated.
Grilled burgers and chicken sandwiches and we omnivores were outnumbered by the great vegetarian fare to be had everywhere. At the south end of the park, food vendors were cranking out the treats with some nice music to be heard while you eat- some good folk rock tunes.
I was hoping for more concrete information to be shared by vendors and city agencies. I’d like to know more about water conservation in our very thirsty, very dry state but I found very few of the 300 the booths were of this type. There were more hemp products and shea butter lotions than you could shake a didgeridoo at, many different Eastern religions and philosophies ready to share their beliefs of love and respect, but they greatly outnumbered the booths with active answers. There were some… but nowhere near as many as I hoped there would be. Show me real products that are sustainably produced, give me real statistics how America’s Finest City is doing well, and where we can improve. How can businesses and neighborhoods become more involved? I just couldn’t find these booths.
Once section was dedicated to vendors and educators working with recycled materials- way to go, folks, there were some really nice succulent planters for sale made from repurposed fencing wood. The blog “Cool San Diego Sights” got a photo of this booth, and a couple others that I missed but would have like to see- the Urban Farming activists and the Gleaning Queens in particular are two that I am really disappointed to have missed. Please read about The Glean Queens and ProduceGood.org on Richard’s blog Cool San Diego Sights!
There were alternative cars displayed, from hybrids and electrics to this nifty three wheeler- “an enclosed, soft-sided motorcycle” was one passing comment I overheard.
I didn’t get any photos (kicking myself) as we stood in a short line to enter and ask questions of a Tiny House owner who brought her home for all to see. She shared how she uses her composting toilet, altered a livestock watering tub to use as a shower, and how she used a hand-powered washing device for laundry. “It’s like a giant salad spinner and uses only two gallons of water to wash and rinse,” she explained to a couple of kids. She let one of them scamper onto her counter to access stairs to her loft- his big smile and wide eyes showed how much he liked being allowed to climb on the counter.
An Earth Day festival is usually associated with a lot of smaller movements all coming together to share information about themselves, but I think vendors and public organizations also miss a huge opportunity to educate a large number of people in what we all share- responsibility.
branching out... on a limb 