On September 27, 2008, GreenRight management attended the 12th annual Charlottesville Vegetarian Festival. Coordinated by the group Voices for Animals and run entirely by volunteers, the event brings together people of all stripes and shades from throughout central Virginia for a smorgasbord of green goodies.

This event usually draws around 6,000 visitors, making it one of the largest vegetarian festivals in the United States. In modest Lee Park in downtown Charlottesville, and spilling over into surrounding parking lots, local natural foods stores, organizations of all sorts, restaurants, and other vendors provide an unbelievable variety of goods, information, and entertainment. Add to that live music and animal adoptions, plus free samples and fun activities like face painting, and you can easily spend the entire day with other folks who are interested in livingly compassionately towards animals and the planet.

And with so many attendants, we had numerous chances to spread the word about GreenRight, make connections with other green-minded organizations and individuals, and just have a great time celebrating sustainability and the local "good."

Just to give you a snapshot of the groups and businesses represented: The Alliance for Community Choice in Transportation was there conducting a poll of transportation methods used by attendees. Depending on your mode of locomotion (biking, driving alone, carpooling, etc.), you will get a colored rock that you then put in a clear tube. As the piles grow and the tubes fill, everyone can see which transportation methods are most popular--though the most popular may not be the most sustainable as well.

Integral Yoga, a natural foods/products store in Charlottesville, had a stand and was giving away goodie bags (with natural toothpaste, soap, lotion, and other products), running a raffle, and selling foods. They also offered magazines, books, and CDs with information on yoga practice and various spiritual traditions.

Back in the animal corner of Lee Park, various animal adoption organizations such as Dogs Deserve Better brought cute dogs and cats for people to play with—and maybe even take home! After a bit of time with any of these potential pets, it was easy to understand why so many people choose vegetarian and vegan lifestyles in order to reduce the suffering of our animal friends…and help the planet.

Along with all this information, another great hotspot was the food area, where restaurants had booths with food. It was a real international selection, too, with Indian, Ethiopian, smoothies, or general "rabbit food." In this case, filling up also benefits local businesses and makes a statement about the benefits of going green and cruelty free.

After attending the Charlottesville Vegetarian Festival, we at GreenRight are filled with the hope that a green consciousness and green community building can occur just about anywhere…and that GreenRight can play a crucial part in making that happen. All it takes is a few inspired folks with a vision for a greener future.

By coming together to show support for sustainability in all its forms, people who attend green festivals help bring us closer to a culture of conscientiousness and compassion. And GreenRight, by supporting the local economy (and eco-nomy) while also being a part of this green spirit, will surely help fill this important niche while bringing even more people into the movement for sustainability.