G R E E N F E S T I V A L S P R I N G ' 1 0 ! ! This was the first time SF did the festival in the spring! I volunteered last week for the festival set up with the Bike Valet (Friday 3pm-7:30pm)!!! Got in for free the next day! So much fun! Met lots of other awesome volunteers and got to talk to different vendors! It's great to buy products at this festival. A lot of the prices are cheaper than retail prices and may be limited in quantity! A few highlights... - Insect Discovery Lab: touched a millipede, and a hissing cockroach - Clif Bar: sampled their new white chocolate macadamia nut! yum! - McEvoy Ranch & Sapothecary: got 3 handmade soaps (lavender and glacial mud) for $10! - Blue Lotus: bought veggie bags (3 for $8.50) - Dr. Bronner's Magic: got lots of bath samples - less crowded = more space :) - lots of samples to try! Though there were a lot fewer vendors than during the fall, I really enjoyed taking my time to browse through the festival! I was there from 10am til about 12:30pm. There were many new vendors there, and some old! :D It still took me a few hours to see all of the booths! There was just soooo much to absorb! I highly recommend coming in November!!! Go green: walk 15 mins from the SF Caltrain Depot read more

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It's the first year that the Green Festival is here in San Francisco in the Spring (they usually are only here annually in November, they'll be back again November this year too). It took me awhile to get used to the landscape of the festival as there was so much to see, buy, taste and hear that was "green" - loved it! I would try to write all about it in detail, but it's just too much, too much!! You just have to go there and experience it for yourself tomorrow or in November when it comes back! Go, go *green*! Note: If you take public transportation to the Fest, you get in for $5 - I was there all day from 11AM til 6PM, what a great day! read more

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This year's 2016 Green Festival Expo was held Nov 11-13 at Pier 35 in San Francisco. The location was quite good as it was a doable walk from the Embarcadero BART station. Pier 35 is situated between the pier where the ferries go to Alcatraz & the sea lions at Pier 39. Walking to Pier 35 you also walk past the towering staircases that ascend to Coit Tower. The Green Festival Expo was huge & had many booths showcasing an eclectic array of innovative green products while others gave out vegan or vegetarian food samples. I had a few interesting conversations with some elders about the interesting political situation our country finds itself in after Trump shocked everyone by winning the presidential election. Me & my friend were given a chauffeured test drive in the all electric, zero emission Soul EV Kia around San Francisco for one hot minute. I also saw the film Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret about the fascinating & empowering journey of discovery that reveals the massive environmental destruction caused by raising animals for food. It was great to see the film yet the screen could have been bigger & the area where it was shown was by other booths so was a bit noisy yet still enjoyed the film. After the film was shown there was a Q and A w/ director of Cowspiracy Keegan Kuhn that was quite good. All in all a great day & hope the Green Festival Expo is showcased at Pier 35 next year. read more

Green Festival - Festivals Near Me

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Although the Green Festival Expo has cancelled this year, I still treasured fond memories of shopping exclusive green items in my most favorite event starting last year. First off, the entry to the Green Festival isn't free, unless I had a bike which I didn't have. Using my clipper card made it a little cheaper. Buying green items to total up $25 in my receipt had been a rip-off. But no matter what I do, I couldn't stop thinking about purchasing clean healthy products. In their food court, they provide dirt-to-dish vendors such as Lydia's Organics. Herbal Junction happened to be my most favorite vendor to go to if I ever wanted to try bizarre beverages. They have massage areas but each cost around $75. In the clothing sections, socks, shirts, sandals, and even boxer briefs (if bought) would benefit us customers and our planet. If I didn't have enough money to spend, I might go for samples. I had a blast last year, and boy, I was on top of the world! I want to cross my fingers for hoping to make sure Green Festival Expo will be present starting next year; otherwise, I shall head to the Rainbow Grocery or any co-op stores. Our planet depends on us. read more

I love the Green Festival because it has literally changed my life. It's so inspiring to see how many businesses and services can function in a green and ethical way. I believe most people care about the welfare of our planet but are overwhelmed by how many things we need to change but it all starts with personal choice. I started with small steps. I was starting to buy organic and familiarized myself with current environmental issues but it was my bf who asked me to give up plastic water bottles and opt for filtered tap water in a reusable bottle. At first, I hated the idea and thought it would be tedious and inconvenient. How could I give up plastic bottles when it was so easy? I still recycled them. Isn't that good enough? But I knew I couldn't convince anyone to "go green" when I wasn't willing to even give it a try myself. Within days, I couldn't imagine why I ever wasted my money or energy on plastic water bottles when I could drink from my eco-friendly (and cute) Hello Kitty sigg bottle. It's been three years now and I've officially gone to the GREEN SIDE. And I've never looked back! I would recommend the Green Festival to anyone that is willing to give environmentalism a try. It will open you up to so many things to help the planet AND ways to better your life. I know it did for me. Here's some highlights: -I was looking for a new phone company last year and the Credo Mobile booth happened to be there. I had so many questions and their reps were patient and willing to answer all of them. We must have talked for at least an hour! It's been a year now and I couldn't imagine ever leaving them. I love their costumer service, the coverage, and the fact that a percentage of the money goes to nonprofits and we, as customers, get to vote on where it goes! The Ben and Jerry's free pint coupons didn't hurt either. ;) -The speakers were inspiring, particularly Ellis Jones who wrote the book, "The Better World Guide" and talked to us about how our dollars should be seen as votes. It is hard for one person to change the world but as an educated population we should support the companies that hold our values at their core. Every vote and dollar counts, every time we buy something. -I can't believe it but I even changed my bank! New Resource Bank specializes in funding green businesses and projects and gave me a free Green Zebra guide (usually $25) for signing up with them. It's been nothing but smiles ever since. I love banking somewhere with excellent customer service. When I call, a REAL human being always answers. I can choose checks made from 100% recycled paper. They also pay for the fee from any ATMs I take cash out of so I never have to worry about finding a specific ATM like I used to with Bank of America. -Green Festival is a great place to get your shopping fix! And you can feel good about the businesses you support here. They have vendors for everything including organic clothing, jewelry, candles, soaps, tea, chocolates to others like green coffins, greeting cards made from elephant poo, and conflict free diamond rings. It's a mixed bag but an interesting one at that. -I can't resist free stuff. Last year I got organic chocolates, recycled paper notebooks, Honest and Numi tea, tote bags, soap, cereal, lip balm, a zillion coupons, etc. YAY! -The food vendors are delicious. I had to mention this since this is a Yelp review. I ate a very meaty veggie corn dog, Three Twins ice cream, organic Japanese curry, crispy and hot french fries, cheese and white corn enchiladas and more. PIG IT OUT! Get hungry. Get inspired. Get to the Green Festival, I'll see you there! http://www.greenfestivals.org/ read more

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Wow I'm still in shock about how much this Green Festival went down hill this year. The event moved to the sad and depressing Cow Palace. It seemed like the organizers changed. What a disappointment! I carpooled with my friends and paid $15 for parking and thankfully we saved our Rainbow Grocery receipts (over $25) so we were able to get our tickets for $1 each instead of $15. It took a while at the ticket booth because they had to enter our information on the Ticket Master system and the woman that helped me was typing with one finger. Once we entered, it was dark and there was no natural light at all which added to the depressing vibe. We were hungry since it was lunch time when we arrived so we were in search of the vegan food booths that we were familiar with in previous years, like Lydia's Organic food, but they weren't there. All the food was provided by the stadium vendors and it was a very poor attempt at vegan/vegetarian food such as salad, couscous, cheese pizza and french fries. I did see a vegan hot dog but found out the bun was not vegan so I didn't get it. At this point, we decided to check out the booths and see if we could get samples to curb our hunger. We went through the 3 different halls in about an hour and a half. We wondered what happened to all the exhibitors? I remember last year I wasn't even able to see every booth in one day but this year was completely different. I can't even imagine why anyone would need a 2 or 3 day pass for this event. Once I walked out the front door and saw the sunlight I was happy to be leaving that sad place. We headed elsewhere to get a decent vegan meal. I won't be returning next year unless the venue changes and they bring the old organizers back. read more

I always look forward to this festival. It never lets me down - when it comes to discovering new innovative green friendly products, meeting fantastic people, and indulging in sensational vegan food. The Green Festival really is a phenomenal way to stay on top of your health and learn about ways you can improve it - whether it be through better posture, new green recipes, all natural skin products, natural eating utensils and more. Each year it gets bigger and bigger - but the staff that put it together only get more and more organized and they do an impressive job of creating a green wonderland. Indulging in Lydia's sensational fruit pie, while talking with kind vegan folks from Santa Rosa, in between high-fiving a lovely hippy soul from Arizona - while supporting Green friendly and Green aware businesses - is the way to be. Trust. read more

My first time attending the Green Festival in SF and I would say "I'll be back"... Don't worry peeps it's not a place where hippies roam the earth. Vendors insisting on you buying their products. It's a place where you can check out organic, green friendly food & products. They had so many vendors there, that I wasn't sure if we could check them out in just one day, but luckily we did. Vendors were giving out free tastings or better yet giving out mini samples of their products to take home. We took home an enormous amount of free schwag and awesome coupons for purchase of items we buy on a regular basis. Very well organized. I have to give mad props to the volunteers. They helped assist us n00bs to the right place and properly dispose of our garbage. My only complaint was there was not enough food vendors, meaning restaurants serving cooked food. I would have also liked to see more food demonstrations as well. Maybe next year....see you at Fort Mason in 2014. (This is the last year they will be at the Concourse Expo Center) 411: Don't buy your tickets onsite. Go to Livingsocial, Goldstar, etc or go to their website and they have offers. read more

Green Festival - Free Schwag just for one person!! We got twice the amount cause there was two of us! SCORE!! - Festivals Near Me

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Came here 6 months ago and at the most recent Green Festival. This time had a lot more vendors and speakers. What they gain in quantity has lost in quality. This year seems like the same stuff being sold, not about new stuff coming out. Only new thing was the Quantum Scalar Stone Ion Energy Japan Volcano Stone Scam. They pull people sideways without and pull people directly down with the pendent on. It was nice place to go and see and talk to some of the vendors. Like the one Indian food, giving some of his food away for a women who only had $3. read more

Green Festival - 11/13/2011 @ 10:45am - Festivals Near Me

Went to the Green Festival Sun Nov 7, 2010 (it was both Sat & Sun). They had a FREE shuttle at Hotel Whitcomb on Market St near 8th every 20 min, but I walked instead. Only about 6 blocks from Civic Center Bart. FREE entrance if you bring 4 cans non-perishable food; or you could have brought in a receipt from Rainbow Grocery minimum $10. If you took public transportation to the event could have gotten in for $10, regular $15 one day. Had to fill out a form to register,dropped off my cans, got my wristband. FREE stuff: Get On The Path Nature's Path (naturespath.com) bag w/ bars O from Safeway bag - nice bag made from plastic jugs Bright Green laundry detergent - Safeway 10% off coupon for Rainbow Grocery now thru 11/12/10. Fuji apples from Rainbow Grocery NUMI Teas - got hot sample & some teabags Chocolate samples Amber Honey sticks from Wholesome Sweeteners Very crowded. Bathrooms: longs lines. Time spent: 2hrs Probably not worth $15, but FREE ok. read more

This year was better than last year, so much cool Green stuff and crazy amount of FREE stuff. I also had a real yummy vegi Corndog. I learned alot at this festival. read more

Lupe M and I ran into Jessica T at the Yelp booth at the Thread show so she put us on the list for the Green Festival. Boy, am I glad she did because there were so many interesting booths. We sampled lots of yummy organic food. There are so many great sustainable products out there. My favourite one was the veggie sponge. The booths were a-plenty and there was enough room to wander easily without bumping into people. You could easily spend all day here if you wanted to but we were pretty pooped from the Thread show ahead of time. Thanks to Yelp, we were able to check this out for free! read more

************************** 627 ************************** Love it if you are all for green! I'm not so much. Everything I love about green, but I'm a flesh meat eater, well, don't hate! Hey, last I check you pay for my freaking meal, heyyyyy! Nice folks, hippies, bohemians of all! It's all good, but let me say this, once you stop wearing, leather belts, bags, shoes, and leather chair cars, than you can come back to preach me! Please don't preach papa if you don't practice, hey! read more

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It's back again this year November 14-16 and I loved it so much last year that I decided to volunteer this time! It gets busy, but it's well worth it and not just for the samples! There are a lot of exhibitors and you never know what you may learn or find. read more

Green Festival - greenfestivals.org - Festivals Near Me

Twas good organic fun!! I mostly went to see the food, and it didn't disappoint. I ate a knish and Three Twins ice cream for the first time. I also had a lot of samples, that included a generous portion of Ben and Jerry's cookies and cream ice cream, chips and salsa, orange creamsicle spirulna kale... and more! It's amazing what kinds of foods are out there that are better for you and better for the environment. The only booth I found surprising was PG&E.. Remember San Bruno? Hinkley and Erin Brockovich?? I guess they're doing their part in being eco-friendly, but perhaps they need to focus on safety and social responsibility.. The one minor thing I didn't like was that at the end of the festival, some of the outside solicitors got inside.. I was harassed for not signing a petition about the death penalty. It wasn't that I didn't want to sign it, but that the lady was super aggressive and was rude. I hope next time they leave them outside. And a big THANK YOU to Yelp for the tickets!!! read more

A huge plus were the multiple options for free entrance. I stopped by Rainbow Grocery to spend $10 for lunch & used that receipt to get in free. There were tons of booths. Had no clue so many were providing samples. A free scoop of Ben and Jerry's! Heck yes! Who knew shelled hemp seeds have a lot of protein, omega-3 & amino acids? Not me. Lotus foods sampled rice. OMG, I bought 3 (1lb) bags for $10!! Eeek a bit pricey but tasty! My heart was won by the volcano rice & forbidden (black) rice. Despite all the sampling, the presentations were informative & the main reason I attended. read more

This year, I was able to get a free Yelp ticket to the Green Festival. This is my second time coming and getting free stuff when I come. Since my friend had to leave around 2pm, we came early. That morning, Amy Goodman was speaking at the podium. But we really didn't get time to listen. There were many of the same vendors there from the previous year and then a few that were new. I really enjoy coming for the food and free samples. I wish that there was more to it than that, but I haven't been impressed yet by the festival. read more

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Well, this entire enterprise has folded. The Green Festivals are no more--in SF, DC, LA, or anywhere else. "After passionately serving the Green movement, promoting sustainable change, and seeking with great effort to build a more resilient, compassionate world, we deeply regret to inform you..." I almost didn't need to continue reading after getting that far. I think this outfit was hemorrhaging major moolah from every pore, and in San Francisco at least, the last two years didn't help their credibility. The 2015 Cow Palace affair was the beginning of the end. And now, the end is at hand. R.I.P., Green Festival Expos. https://www.greenfestivals.org/san-francisco-2016-nov-11-13.html#!smaller_crowd read more

This is the first time there has been a Spring Green Festival. They are usually held in November, But this year there will be the one in Spring and again in November. I've been to two other festivals and I have mixed feelings about this one. The positives: Seemed to be very well organized with lots of friendly and helpful volunteers . I especially appreciated the volunteers stationed at the many recycling stations easily accessible throughout the venue assisting everyone with their trash/recycling needs. It seemed like the vendors were organized in a more well thought out plan with similar items in the same area. (ie clothing, fair trade, household, toys, jewelry ) The stages/presentation areas were scattered throughout the Concourse which had the added bonus of providing seating areas for those who needed it. The program and map brochure were readily available at the entrance and throughout the Concourse. There were also several signs which listed the programming at the various stages. The ventilation system seemed to be working better (this may have to do more with the smaller crowds The Negatives No shuttle from BART. We did take the #19 bus. Getting there was no problem but finding the bus stop to get back to BART was a big problem. Volunteers at the event had no clue. We ended up walking several extra blocks since we hadn't realized that the bus stops in that part of town did not have regular bus signs or bus zones. Instead there were these lame orange stripes on the utility poles.....grrrr. The November festival does have a shuttle. One of my Yelp buds walked the 6 LONG blocks from BART (something I couldn't do since I have trouble walking).The lack of a shuttle might have dissuaded folks from attending. Fewer booths---a plus and a minus. The November festival has more booths--maybe too many --kind of exhausting and overwhelming. -------------------- But hubby and I did enjoy the event. We caught part of Amy Goodman's speech. Dined on a yummy vegan corn dog, garlic fries, vegan tamale and salad. Had samples of Clif bars, organic chocolate, juices, soy milk, crackers, Picked up a couple of free shopping bags; bamboo coat hangers; fair trade toys; a cute, soft Baby towel set made from recycled plastic; a poncho also from recycled plastic and some sunscreen spray. We'll probably go again in November, but only if they have a shuttle. read more

Today, I braved Friday afternoon traffic and attended the Green Festival. What a delightful smorgasbord of dancing gypsy wannabes, fat women with hairy legs and white guys with dreadlocks!!! You should go, fellow Yelpers! There, you can sample all the free twigs and organic debris that you want, or enroll in an unknown but accredited college for a degree in sustainable business administration!!! Or you can subscribe to a lovely magazine on hydroponic gardening printed on recycled diapers and soy latte ink and get a free tote bag made from dead people's clothing! Take a ride in a car that runs on corn syrup while someone give you a rolfing AND teach you how to be more present! How about some candles made by poor village children or fancy beadwork utilizing fallen berries scavenged from the ground. A whopping 15% of the proceeds go to them! You must eat at the food court. Try the raw macrobiotic nori-wrapped wine barrel mulch! It's served on a cracker made from dried sun-baked corrugated pulp! It's high in omega 89.5 fatty acids and fiber! Before you go, please buy a lovely jumpsuit made out of hemp and some hemp lotion and some hemp candle and some hemp hairnet and this beautiful hemp-scented hemp junkmail sorter that you can also eat out of and store your hemp in. And guess who I bumped into at the front door, volunteering his service and handing out registration forms? Mr. Carpenter Dude I hired a while back to work on some small house projects. The same geezer who would leave behind direct-mail postcards from tantric sex workshops. Hello! Nice to see you again! Okay okay, just kidding here. Go check it out. Green is cool. read more

Green Festival - Festivals Near Me

I'm so sad more people couldn't attend this event! Things I loved included: 1. The fact that I didn't have to pay to get in. I brought 3 canned goods each day to donate to the SF Food Bank, and got in free each day. Now, there were actually several ways to get in free or get a discount and that goes a long way in making sure people with low incomes or no incomes could actually attend the event. 2. All the vendors totally blew my mind...I had no idea so many "green" things and services was out there. I mean "green" coffins? Really? They had everything from computer models on world population growth to upgrading your Hybrid to a plug in vehicle, to clothing made from bamboo to a Green bank that only uses customer deposits to invest in "green" projects. The amount of creativity and ingenuity was staggering. 3. Dr. Cornel West was Saturday night's speaker and he was fabulous. If you ever get a chance to see him speak-- do it. He totally gave me new insight into race relations, Obama and politics, and how history is definitely repeating itself. Van Jones on Sunday was also awesome and inspiring. 4. The food offerings were pretty much the best (and healthiest) I've ever seen at any festival, period. I managed to eat a vegan corndog, falafel wrap, cookie and cream organic ice cream, vegetable korma, potato and spinach knish, in 2 days. 5. And last year the organization recycled and composted 90% of the waste from the festival and they seemed to have all the volunteers, bins, etc., in place to do the same this year. They truly prove that any large event can be "green" with the right planning and organization. Loved it! read more

I was really excited that Global Exchange and Green America had decided to hold the Green Festival in San Francisco twice a year, but I was a little bit wary of the fact that this April edition seemed to be advertised so little. The whole point of these things is for people to be introduced to information and businesses, but if the turnout wasn't good, how would it affect these newbies' opinions of the sustainability movement and GX and Green America in general? Yes, I think too much. I brought Alyssa G. along with me. It was her first Green Festival, and we spent about an hour-and-a-half here. We bought some really amazing rice and sampled lots of chocolate. I also go to hold a ball python thanks to Tony from Tree Frog Treks. (OK, so holding a really cool reptile isn't generally part of the Green Festival experience, and both Tony and I agreed that the exotic-pet trade shouldn't be encouraged, but this snake was an abandoned pet, and he was very gentle. I love animals.) My impressions? It's a lot like the fall Green Festival. There were far fewer booths and visitors, but I didn't mind this. In fact, the lack of people made strolling through the exhibits easy, and I never felt claustrophobic. It was also really nice to be able to sit down and eat food without having to wait ten minutes for a dirty table. The registration and check-in process are still needlessly complicated, and there's still a little bit of greenwashing going on, but I would bring someone here. I've only been interested in a few of the speakers in the past, and this time, I didn't even bother trying to see any of the presentations, but the setup for these things seemed much better than it has been in the past. There seemed to be a greater number of talk locations, and these were smaller, so they didn't interfere with everything else that was going on. But I'm sure the ambient noise still makes it difficult to hear what's being said. read more

Have to whole-heartedly agree with Katherine on this. The event was great, bags and bags full of freebies. But the one real downside was that the place was TOO small! If the expected that number of people (on even one of the rainiest days of the season), they should have picked a larger exhibition center. What I liked the best about the festival was all the food samples. It really gave me the opportunity to try a bunch of the brands I'd been staring at in the grocery store aisles for so long. I was able to try some of the great ones and really bad ones, without having to spend any extra money. Woho! Was looking forward to all the great clothing companies, but nothing really stood out. More bamboo material next year, please! read more

Love me some vegan sampling, body-stankin Green Festival! I think they should rename it: 'Burning Man Reunion' because as soon as 5pm hits on any of the nights, that's what it becomes. This place is a beacon of inspiration and innovation. So many great vendors, so many free samples of food, drink and CHOCOLATE!!!! Great place for unique Christmas gifts. This years was just as wonderful as last years. Though very crowded, the vibe here is so different than any other 'convention' gathering because people are so chill and cool about being around each other. There's none of that 'don't touch me' vibe if you accidentally rub elbows. It's a great melting pot of people...class, culture, religion, you name it, it's all good. Can't wait for next year. I highly recommend the Gyro's and Garlic Fries. read more

Sundays I usually spend either at home cleaning and catching up loads of laundry, or spend in San Francisco with a good friend of mine attending the Green Festival. Since he had gone to it the year before, we decided to break in a newbie since I had yet to go to one. Granted, I attended something similar on a smaller scale when I was still a student at UCD, but to experience this encouragement at this adult stage in my life, would probably be more effective. Upon arrival, we parked 5 blocks away and walked to the Concourse, which is this huge warehouse of sorts. I remember when the Exotic Erotic ball was still being held here. Anyhow, because we had missed online registration, tickets at the door were $15. I was lucky, however, because this lady in front of us had a 2-for-1 postcard which afforded me a $7.50 cost instead. Once inside, we decided to follow the path to the right and already, the recycling encouragement was in my face. According to the pamphlet, the Concourse was supporting local green businesses, workshops, organic food booths, and live bluegrass music. The relaxed nature of the venue and the attending people made it very easy to mingle with other individuals and organizations. This sort of social networking took me back to the old days of mixers in SF and I fell right into routine again. Instead of listening to job specs and exchanging cards, my ears and brain were brimming with environmental consciousness and hopeful coordination with my own future efforts. Although the various vendors in publicizing Fair Trade items and baskets, bags, scarves, clothing reminded me a bit of Telegraph in Berkeley, I was pretty impressed with the Alter Eco booth (http://www.altereco-usa.com/main.php) which showcased coffee and chocolate bars. My socks were knocked off by their Alter Eco Milk Cajou Chocolate Bar with Cashew and Raisin bits. According to their pamphlets, the ingredients for their products were Fair Trade cocoa from Ghana and Bolivia, unrefined organic Fair Trade sugar from the Philippines, as well as Fair Trade cashews, raisins, and fine Arabica coffee beans. This was one of the best milk chocolate bars I have ever sampled in my life, next to Scharfen chocolate. I had to buy three of their bars, priced at $3 each. I nibbled on two rows before my butt's conscience reminded me to put it down. At the next booth, we were shown items weaved in Bolivia under the Circle of Sun tag. The Circle of Sun organization (www.circleofthesun.org/) works with the indigenous communities in throughout the world to empower their peoples accessibility to economic stability and freedom by forming relationships between the craftspeople and the outside world. I fell in love with their light grey 100% Alpaca hand woven scarf, priced at $15. I wore it all day. One section were booths reminiscent of a trade fair for home builders and developers but with an eco-conscious attitude. Since we both don't own a home, this portion was not applicable, but the solar cells and solar powered lighting seemed interesting and worth foray into alternative energy sources, especially if one owned a home in Marin or Berkeley. But we did find the LED lightbulb interesting which ran on 3 watts and lasts for 12 years by C.Crane (http://www.ccrane.com/lights/led-light-bulbs/index.aspx), cost was $44. We bypassed the food court since we were suppose to hit Park Chow in the Sunset for dinner later, but I did not pass by the opportunity to sample a cup of Hemp Seeds (tasted like raw sesame seeds) and then a flaxseed bar (seeds are like hard sesame seeds, with a nutty crunch) but the Acai booth with samples of their smoothies and an Acai parfait with granola, was a hit. This was run by Sambazon (http://www.sambazon.com/default3.asp?pg=3) and we left with several of their smoothie packets. We spent about a good three hours here perusing, reading, and listening to vendors exchange their organizations efforts and business target audience. I collected lots of fact sheets and was equally impressed with the biodegradable plates, forks and spoons that could be composted. This was a great way to broaden my horizons and sampling all those goods with Acai berries and Guarana extract, left me in a great mood to walk the 5 blocks back to our car. Excellent venue, good organization, and efficient delivery of options available to us, so that we may think of better ways to live in harmony with and hopes to, alleviate our reliance on ever diminishing natural resources by expanding our use of alternatives. read more

Tons of great businesses and services that promote eco-friendly living. I'm a particular fan of Green Zebra. I also loved the "ohm yoga" station where you could try the yoga equipment; I was thinking about where I'd be able to fit one of those contraptions in my apartment. (The answer is nowhere). The layout of the event was very simple, and I'm definitely happy it's free for students! The lunch tables were a bit crowded and the food selection a bit bleek. I ended up eating some very soggy/dissolving pupusas. I ended up walking away proud of myself, having only bought 3 bags of Cambodian rice: Forbidden, Jade Pearl and Volcano. read more

Four stars for giving me enough free trinkets to re-gift around the holiday season.... yes! Like a hairy dreadlocked hippie wearing no deodorant, this place was one hot, smelly, funky mess. You were daring if you entered the food and clothing section towards the end of the exhibition Sunday when all the booths were having their blowout sales. I didn't buy anything for that very reason. Way too crowded to ask the vendor reps questions or get individual attention. The layout of the show was decent, but the outer aisles of the venue were way too narrow. Exhibiting universities were on the Brannan St side of the building on the outer aisle and I kept getting bumped into by people just looking and aimlessly walking and staring into open space to grab free stuff. WTF I'M TRYING TO LOOK AT GRADUATE MBA PROGRAMS IN SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS, GTF BACK! Annoyed and impatient, I was swept away by the current of people, but I did give a few schools my email to keep in touch. This brings me to another point, why was there so much paper? I was handed so many flyers I had to get a free tote bag from one of the vendors to lug it all around. I would think for such an environmentally friendly and eco-conscious event, paperwaste would be minimized (or asked to be minimized by the organizers) as much as possible. I know there are recycling bins, but a lot of the booths had an excess of materials, and there was so much litter at the closing of the show Sunday evening. Instead of having paper applications and sign-up sheets, why not have a computer station set up where people can enter their info electronically? Only costs a couple hundred bucks from a local A/V rental supplier, or you could even bring your own laptop. I'm just sayin'. I volunteered with my friend Sunday at the Common Ground/Lime Media booth. Very cool experience and great chance to network. Highly recommended for college students! read more

My tree hugger friend asked if I wanted to go to the SF Green Festival on Saturday. It was a great time and I did learn a lot. But like everything in life, there are good and bad - here is the dirt on the green festival: Pros: * Lots of exhibitors * Free stuff - who doesn't love freebies? Especially edible freebies. I got 10 huge chocolate bars, coconut water, fruit, fruit leather, chips, cookies, energy drinks, etc... Everything was either organic or free trade. It was like I was trick-or-treating at Whole Foods. I came home with a recycled bag full of groceries ;) Magazines, bags made of recycled materials, yoga organic towels, natural soaps, etc... I could barely carry out all of my freebies. *You can see some pretty interesting folks here.... *They were really good about having people manage the garbage from the event. There was someone stationed at each garbage to place it in its appropriate recycling bin. Cons: *Venue was too small. Everyone was cramped and being pushy. People were not being very nice about it either. Plus, the people in wheelchairs had a difficult time getting around. I'm not sure they could. Doesn't seem like good green behavior to me. *The Speaker/Panel rooms were too small to accommodate the crowds. It is difficult to pay attention when you are cramped up next to someone who does not believe in using deodorant and coughing into the back of your head. It was fun and educational enough that I will probably go next year, but hopefully they will choose a larger venue next time. read more

Seems like a waste to have something like this in San Francisco because we're so inundated with the green message here and so many people are riding the green bandwagon in the Bay Area. I'm glad they've begun producing Green Festivals all around the country because I think they mean more in places like Texas. read more

I got a free admission from my coworker who was volunteering, and I thought . . . why not? My friend and I took the muni to where the free shuttle was, and we got off a few stops too early. We ended up walking about a mile through the TL; NEVER AGAIN! Darn it. When we arrived at the Green Festival, we were surprised, and in a good way. It was freaking massive and packed. Tons of organic goodies for health fanatics. Free ticket, free shuttle, free goodies! Awesome, awesome and awesome! read more

I brought my daughter with me, and she loved the Green Festival. She thought it was awesome, as she loves everything green! She wants the electric bike & nada chairs. The biodegradable wipes were cool beans! Not only did the Festival educate, rejuvenate, and celebrate, it inspired her to create bigger & greener products for the future! Thank you so much Jessica for making it happen, our kids are the FUTURE!!! read more

I volunteered for my company's booth on Friday evening from 5pm - 8pm. I have to admit that i was not too excited about volunteering at a festival Ion a friday night but to my surprise, i actually enjoyed it for the most part. 1) i was able to educate the people that stopped by to ask questions i.e what makes my company a "green" compay 2) i spent a good hour roaming around to learn about biodegradeable diapers and even bought a cute outfit for my friend's 1 year old daughter 3) i got to taste some organic food 4) its great to see a lot of people showing their support for eco-friendly, fair trade, organic, etc. 5)it makes me look good in front of my boss that i fully support "GREEN". with that said, Fun: 3 stars Educational: 4.5 stars Food: 2 ive only tasted some clif bar peices, seeds, honest fruit juice, peanut butter and soy milk which all tasted ok experience: 3 considering it was my first, i did enjoy myself for the most part Parking: 2 stars (but i parked next door and paid $12.00, its going to my expense report. :) Company's booth: 5++++++ stars overall: 3.5, i rounded it up to 4 read more

It's a quintessential San Francisco event. Valuable info, tasty samples, totes and a lot of hemp products. NUMI tea is good. I like it. I'm going out to WFM for a box or two. Sustainability really is key. As citizens of Earth, we really should be aware of our global environment. I'd like it to be around a good deal of time longer for generations to come. Beer garden was really disappointing. They were beer shots, not actual 12oz. beers, prolly 3oz. or something...Bleh. Gyro and garlic fries were very nice. BTW, there were Priuses as far as the eye could see, one of which I rode away in... read more

Either my search skills are not that great or I should just be floored that no one has reviewed the Green Festival yet. In its 5th year, I must say that this is one fantastic un-missable event. Though my first year attending, this will not be my last. Being able to meet so many people hoping to save the world in their own little way is priceless. The only downside I found, other than not having enough money to buy all I wanted, was trying to split my time between all the great vendors and the intelligent, insightful speakers. read more

Green Festival - SF Green Festival Nov 10-12, 2006 - Festivals Near Me

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2017 at pier 35 in San Francisco was canceled and they did not tell anyone or post it on their web site, over 200 people came by Sun morning trying to find it along with myself at pier 35 at a tremendous cost to get their only to be told by a tour guide that they never showed up, no post on their web site that it was cancelled. A phone number listed on one of their forms for exhibitors is disconnected...cost me over $45 for commute parking etc... they suck... read more

What a great event. So fun to see co many committed people and to get to sample so many wonderful products. If I hadn't just come from lunch at Greens I could have munched so much more. I got some awesome liquid peppermint soap for $2! If I had a dollar for every white person with dreadlocks there I would be rich. read more

I was FINALLY able to get free tickets and go this year. It's a good thing the tickets were free, because I probably would have been more disappointed had I paid for it. To be fair, I didn't get the *full experience* because I wasn't able to listen to any of the speakers. I LOVE FREE STUFF...but all the samples and papers going around seemed a little against the whole point of this festival. I know they do what they can but there were definitely a few vendors that should NOT have been there. Lunch was ok. I think almost everything was either vegan or vegetarian. I had a potato and spinach knish that *looked* amazing but lacked taste. It was basically just a big ball of potato (not in a good way--like pierogies!). I definitely should have gotten the vegan corn dog...it looked AMAZING! Overall, I had a pretty good time...and I got some great free samples and literature from it! read more

Ever wonder why the grass is always greener on the other side? Neither have I, so I headed off to the Green Festival, where there are many answers to questions never asked. I didn't see Mr. GreenJeans, but everybody else who's green was at the Green Festival, the green place to be and be seen green. If you're on a tight budget take the gf to the GF because it's easy to enter without springing for the fee. Just check out the many different routes that lead to no-cost admission and you're bound to find a suitable path. Upon entry, show her you know the ropes (hemp of course). Stay on the lower floor and veer right. Pick up a complimentary tote bag. You'll need it to store all the freebies you'll be collecting. Once you have your tote, swerve left and get into the Rainbow Grocery queue for a bunch more freebies. From here just keep swerving and veering while you fill that trick or treat bag with GreenThings. The vibe is positive and the suprises are plentiful and rewarding. Check it out. The next time I go to the GF, I'll attend one of the many interesting presentations. read more

I had a great time at this festival. I was amazed by how huge it was! There were a million boths. It even had a beer/wine garden...which I did spend a bit of time in : ) I loved how they had the boths coordinated by their type a bit so it was easier to navigate. I think they could do this even a bit better in the future...but they did a pretty great job this time. They had eco friendly cars to test drive, beauty products, clothing, jewelery, laundry products, food...everything you could imagine. I bought some Kale Chips and they were delicious. I would definitely go again...it was really fun! Thank you Yelp for the tickets! read more

Please don't. Just don't. The Cow Palace is a cow pie as far as having the Green Festival goes. Sure it might have sounded like a kindred fit: all natural organic meets the rawhide nature of this venerable stadium but let's admit that it didn't work out. I will admit, showing up Sunday afternoon was late in the 3-day festival's game but not so far after lunch time that the only daily soup at the touted green-minded central concession should have been sold out. The fries there were fine but the menu was surprisingly short and headed toward boring just as the old, tired cafeteria line itself. Completely gone was the sampling delight of years past when stellar restaurants, coffee, wine and beer purveyors like Cafe Gratitude and others brought their own creative and eclectic menus to a truly organic feeling food court. But the main event of course are the scores of vendor booths with some unique, hard-core, granola head funky or "whoa, that's so cool" products that if things went perfectly would save the planet. There wasn't actually a shortage of tasty food sample bites or sensuous lotions and fabrics to touch but even a vendor confirmed that 2015 was the first year at the Palace and he too hoped that it wouldn't be the venue next year. Or should we say it won't be the same *venues* (plural) next year? I nearly missed two whole wings of exhibits due to the weird layout of the facilities! Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed a rodeo, an American Kennel Club (Best in Show) Championship and going way back even hockey at the Cow Palace before. Just felt like even though I finally found my way back to the Green Festival after missing more years than I probably attended it, that I still wasn't there somehow. read more