Party Sustainably

Putting the Green in All Things Italian!

This year, SOFIA, in conjunction with the City of Fairfield Go Green Commission, is incorporating a more sustainable approach to the running of the festival.

It is well known that large events have a significant environmental impact in terms of consumption, waste, and effects on our environment. Here are just a few fun, green ideas we are implementing to lower the festival's negative environmental impact:

•Using all compostable cups and plates for use with all food items sold.
•Encouraging people to ride their bicycles or walk to the festival
•Powering the strings of lights for the event with two bike generators!
•Sponsoring the building of bicycle racks, which Schaus Vorhies volunteered to build
•Using many local ingredients in our food, including organic ricotta cheese from Radiance Dairy
•Partnering with Everybody's Whole Foods to set up a station to refill your own water bottle.
•Have clearly marked stations where you can sort your recycling and compostable refuse
•Using partially recycled paper in our flyer and festival brochures
•Hosting the Green Riders Catherine and Oliver Block to join us. At the festival, they will be letting people test their electric bikes out. Along with that, at the Farmer's Market on Saturday, they will be doing a workshop on how to convert your bike to an electric bike. The Green Riders are on a journey across America on electric bicycles. To read about their blog about their journey visit http://www.thegreenriders.blogspot.com/

What You Can DO to Help:

•Bike or walk to the event and encourage your friends and family to do the same (bike racks will be set up on the Square).
•If you cannot ride your bike, carpool to the event with friends and family using a gas-efficient car.
•Burn off those cannoli and gelato calories by taking a ride on our bike generators. This year we will have two exercise bikes which will be generating power. Free slices of pizza will be rewarded to those who bike on one of these for 15 minutes or more.
•Make sure to recycle your cans and bottles and compost your compostable plates and utensils. If you want to go a step further (NOT REQUIRED), you may bring your own plates and utensils to the event for personal use.