The two-week St Albans SustFest got underway last weekend with hundreds of people attending events across the district.
Sunday's SustFest22 Harpenden Sustainability Market saw crowds enjoying live music, performances and vegan street food while browsing eco stalls from local sustainable businesses, charities and community groups.
Harpenden Town Mayor Cllr Lisa Scriven, said: “My family had a wonderful time at the Sustainability Market. We particularly enjoyed hearing the passionate stories behind the innovative sustainable products and charities. At the Sustainable St Albans stall, we made a #planetpledge to grow more insect-friendly plants. We’re looking forward to the next market on July 17.”
Other events over the opening weekend included Grow Community-Sopwell’s Open Day, RSPB’s Heron Watch in Verulamium Park and a repair fair where attendees could bring broken items along to be fixed by volunteers.
Kate Swindells of Grow Community-Sopwell said: “It was so great to celebrate our community garden on Sunday. People were really keen to try growing food, whether a few herbs on their windowsill or by joining us regularly to plant and harvest together.”
The Sustainability Festival continues over the next fortnight with dozens of events for the public, many of them free.
Sustainable gift brand Tommy & Lottie and Nude Tin Can Gallery in Hatfield Road, St Albans, are holding a free drop-in Wildlife Awareness Day on Saturday (May 21) from 9am-5pm at the gallery. There will be a T&L pop-up shop, watercolour workshops for ages 12+ and a wildlife art exhibition, 'Journey to Extinction'.
In the coming week, Age UK will hold a charity Fashion Show, All Saints Church in Harpenden will have a free Nature Detective morning, Food Smiles will run tours of their community gardens and Butterfly World 2.0 will ask residents to help count minibeasts in the Abbey Orchard. Other organisations holding events include Earthworks, Wilderhood Watch, St Albans Friends of the Earth, Eat Wholefoods, St Albans Library, Greenpeace, Ver Valley Society and many more.
In addition, local faith groups, resident groups, scouts, girl-guiding and schools will have environmentally friendly activities for their members and students.
The full Sustainability Festival event listings are at sustfest.org.
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