Mi Earth Day Fest 2016

The MI Earth Day Fest  2016 returns to Rochester hills.

The MI Earth Day Fest returns to the popular Rochester Municipal Park & City Center area, on the banks of the Paint Creek. The 11th annual green/wellness festival will kick off on Earth Day, Friday April 22, and run throughout the weekend. Admission to the event and all programs is free of charge and open to all ages.

“It’s never been more important to celebrate Earth Day and there’s no better way than participating in the MI Earth Day Fest,” stated the festival’s outreach manager, Steve Litz. “The event is one of the largest and liveliest Earth Day celebrations on the planet.”

The festival offers many opportunities for attendees to shop, learn and celebrate green and healthy living. More than 100 exhibitors will offer eco-friendly products and services, free samples, show specials, door prizes and giveaways. Leading environmental and wellness community groups will provide expert presentations, hands-on workshops and networking round tables in the Connect Café tent. Free massage, yoga and other wellness programs will also be available.

Food trucks and vendors will offer a variety of healthy and delicious organic/natural meals, snacks and drinks. The Whole Kids Korner will host activities, arts and crafts, and strawbale and tower climbs. Jennifer Kincer, festival entertainment manager and popular emcee, will present a full weekend lineup of family-friendly music and dance on the main stage, including award-winning local groups, talented newcomers and daily headliners.

Several special events are planned throughout the weekend including a Friday 7 pm awards ceremony recognizing winners of the 2016 MI Green Hall of Fame, USGBC My Green School Art Contest and DTE GreenCurrents Earth Day Challenge, as well as a Saturday 11 am parade and a Sunday 8 am RARA 5K Fun Run.

Event manager John Batdorf commented on the event’s venue, “A major Earth Day event belongs at this beautiful setting in a city like Rochester, which integrates an award-winning downtown and many natural attractions.” Batdorf continued, “With the festival established at this great location and downtown construction completed, resulting in hundreds of new parking spaces, we’re planning for the return of large crowds seen in previous years.”

Free admission and programming for the Mi Earth Fest 2016 is sponsored by DTE Energy GreenCurrents, Whole Foods Market and Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART).

Event media sponsors are Fox 2 Detroit, 100.3 WNIC, WWJ Newsradio 950, CMNtv and GreeningDetroit.com.

The Mi Earth Fest 2016 details and directions, as well as participant information, is available online at www.miEDF.com.

MI Green Team L3C (MGT) is Michigan’s leading green/wellness network and event producer. Its mission is to promote green living, business and community. MGT is a Michigan “low-profit, limited-liability company,” an innovative business entity that uses business best practices to pursue a socially beneficial purpose. Net profits from MGT events are donated to local green programs. For more information, visit www.migreenteam.com.