Jolly Old England: Green Festivals and Solar Circuses

Looking for great entertainment and headed to England during the summer? Want to do some festivals, but not really into the whole Renaissance Faire thing? Here’s a few possibilities. First, there’s the circus: the Green Roadshow makes its home in Somerset but travels throughout the country doing entertaining and educational events related to sustainability. It’s the only solar powered big top with the felicitous name, Croissant Neuf Circus. All of the exhibits and displays are run by renewable energy. Imagine your favorite carnival rides powered by the sun, a clown show with “practical pollution solutions,” all presented from a unicycle. There is a sustainable fountain, great educational materials in a tent, and lots of activities. The best way to see them this year is in August at the Croissant Neuf Summer Party in Glastonbury. As its website proclaims, the intimate, boutique style and all power on site provided by renewable energy, organic food, locally brewed ales and one of the most eclectic music line-ups of the year make this a bit of spectacular fun. For those who can't find a B&B and don't fancy tents, there are rentable Tipis and Yurts. Held just outside Usk, Monmouthshire, it purports to be an ideal green weekend in the country.

Too late for this summer (as this year’s festival just ended), the big Glastonbury Festival also includes Croissant Neuf, mainly as a terrific venue to see great music. Thelineup for this year in the Big Top included Paolo Nutini, the Madibles, Mankala, the Correspondents, King Porter Stop, and Freefall Collective. The stage is solar powered with LED lights and wind power supplements many of the events. And when you need a break from the music, there is always Ian the Interdimensional Wizard and Kevin the Clown who wandered the festival touting unusual ideas and inventions (imagine watching the magic of hydrogen power and 250,00 volts of solar power from a unicycle.) These two British Green fests include a booth sponsored by Sensory Solutions, a group of modern day witches and herbal remedy providers who sell alternative remedies, provide therapeutic massage, and other healing consultations from the back of a funky airstream trailer. And if you’re quick, you can catch the witches at the Big Green Gathering coming up July 29th – August 2nd. Also in Glastonbury, this festival features everything from green enterprises to music to traditional crafts. For accommodations, TBG Gathering has a unique village full of Podpads, adorable brightly colored huts with amenities that give visitors some privacy and a bit of luxury without damaging the festival grounds or using a lot of local resources. They're made of sturdy plywood and are decked out with a solid floor, fitted carpet, shelving, interior strip-light and additional 12v power socket, a vanity mirror and of course, a lock. The green crafts area features amazing traditional crafts like a master bronze caster alongside blacksmith, farrier, tin, copper and silversmith, fibre experts in weaving, spinning, dying, felting and knitting working alongside basket makers, bodgers, wood-turners, clevers, hewers and charcoal burners, as well as stone-masons, flint-knappers, glass-blower, jewellers and oak frame builders. Whichever event you choose, you can be sure your stay in England will be sunny and sustainable.

Summer at Etsy

I know I've mentioned Etsy before, but it's one of those things that bears repeating. Since Etsy is a marketplace for unique hand-made creations by hundreds of independent designers, you'll find new trends (as well as interesting takes on old favorites) in green merchandise every time you visit. This stylish summer handbag, by seller AandV Designs is a great seasonal addition to any collection. Made of sustainable hemp, it's sturdy as well as sophisticated ($73). Another cool trend for hot days is jewelry made from recycled sea glass. Designer Ghost Ship uses only vintage glass to create unique pieces that are simple but evocative. I don't want to give away too many secrets, but if you feel like doing a little virtual beach-combing, visit Etsy and search for the words "eco" and "summer" (or any other combination you prefer). You'll find hundreds of items to pore through, and surely some little treasure to take home.

Easter Traditions

If you like to dye Easter eggs, why not try natural dyes this year? A traditional method involves gathering interesting leaves and flowers, fastening them to the eggs, then dying with a broth of onion skins. The eggs, such as those pictured above, range in color from golden to reddish to brown. Nikki Wright's blog explains this process in detail. Digs magazine has another good article on natural egg dyeing - fundamentally the process involves boiling bright colored fruits, vegetables, and flowers to create a range of dyes, but these results (pictured below) are unusually vivid, so this article should provide a good basis for your own experiments. Looking for more Easter treats? Try filling a basket with actual grass, rafia, or shreds of colorful recycled paper (whose idea was plastic grass, anyway?) and topping with organic jelly beans and chocolate bunnies.

Buy Handmade This Holiday Season

Gift giving can be a tricky topic around this time of year, particularly in environmentally conscious circles. For some people it's a treasured holiday tradition, while for others gift shopping is a task to put off as long as possible if not avoid altogether. If you do choose to shop for gifts this year, one eco-friendly option to consider is supporting independent crafters and buying unique handmade items for the folks on your list. According to the Pledge Handmade site, The accumulating environmental effects of mass production are a major cause of global warming and the poisoning of our air, water and soil. Every item you make or purchase from a small-scale independent artist or crafter strikes a small blow to the forces of mass production. Last year, over 10,000 people took the pledge to "buy handmade this holiday season, and request that others do the same for me." You can go here to sign the pledge, and here to learn more and get resources for handmade gifting. Not sure where to start? Etsy is a great place to find beautiful gifts made by thousands of independent crafters. If you're more of a DIY type yourself, check out some bonus green craft tips at Sew Green (and then you'd better get off the internet and start crafting). (Creative Commons image by Sabrina Eras)