Living green is synonymous with living healthy. Going green is synonymous with trying to live sustainable lifestyle. The Green Festival in DC was held Saturday, May 31 and Sunday, June 1, 2014. This event was amazing for families and eco-conscious attendees. There were thousands of attendees and over 250 vendors and exhibits. The festival was held at the DC Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
WHAT IS GREEN FESTIVAL?
The Green Festival was a touch of paradise for people in the healthy-living community. The convention hall was full of vendors, speakers, products, and attendees who are all interested in sharing or learning about eco-friendly ideas, services, and sustainable goods. The presenters were zealous about the products they were sharing so that attendees would buy some of the best green merchandise in markets today. The hall was setup like a market place where you could watch demos, taste and try new foods, learn about the latest and healthiest organic and eco-friendly items produced. The products and vendors come from across the US to showcase some of their most sustainable goods.
MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS
There were many memorable moments, but here are a few of my top highlights. I loved that the festival was family friendly. I believe if we want to have a greener future we have to start teaching our children how to have sustainable habits while they’re young. My husband and daughters joined me and had a terrific time. We all enjoyed. 
One of my daughter’s favorite part of the festival was the Yoga tent. Lauren Dwyer led the class and everyone had a chance to relax and take in the peaceful moments. 
Ford had one of the most amazing displays because we were giving attendees an opportunity to test-drive one of their hybrid cars. (Later this week, I will share a follow-up post and video about the Ford Fusion Hybrid car). Click here to watch a video about Ford’s 2014 Fusion Titanium Hybrid.
The food at the Kitchen Craft Cookware demo station, looked delicious. The representative was so energetic! What’s fascinating is that customers can save energy by cooking on medium heat and also maximize the taste and nutrition of their food by adding only a small amount of moisture. Their products are manufactured in a green certified factory in Wisconsin, so the cookware is 100% made in America. 
One of my favorite local organic food stores represented well. Mom’s Organic Market gave attendees reusable bags packed with nutritious goodies. I started going to Mom’s about 7 years ago. The story of how the company start is a part of young entrepreneur’s history. Scott Nash started Mom’s as a delivery service in Maryland when he was only 22 years old. The story of how the company has expanded is a green entrepreneur’s dream. 
One of my personal favorite exhibits was the vegenaise booth. I have talked about our use of vegenaise before, but it was great to stock up on coupons and get a free sample. There were several new products on display as well. 
Melanina LLC is a company started by moms. A natural product line for Moms to use on their children was created to help soothe and heal common skin issues that children experience.
Karmalades is also a natural company that provides eco-luxury cleaning products. They also have a new product line geared towards natural cleaning products for babies called Onesie Wash. The company started in the DC Metro area by Physical Therapist, Cynthia Founder.
Native Krafts had the most impressive natural handmade goods produced from raw materials. The dye was created with naturals oils and species.
There were a few companies selling products that were totally new to me, like:
Swedish Dishcloths from Three Blue Birds
Bamboo Pillows from Euroshine USA, Inc.
Laundry balls (Eco-friendly laundry detergent) from Smart Klean
Ralph Nadar attracted a huge crowd of attendees at the Green Festival. He spoke about sustainable energy. 
Another highlight was seeing the Community Award of $5,000 presented to the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture, a nonprofit organization that grows food and distributes it in the DC areas where healthy food stores are not easily accessible to local residents.
We are so excited to announce the winner of this year’s Green Festival Community Award is Arcadia!!! Congratulations!!! — Green Festival (@GreenFestival) June 1, 2014 
There were many opportunities at the Green Festival to learn more about sustainability and how to develop better green habits. This post is the first of 3 that I will share with my readers about my experience.
Reader Question – What are some of your favorite environmentally friendly products?
If you want to see more pictures, check out my Instagram Feed and follow the hashtags #GreenFest.