Download of Fair Program Coming Soon

Happening Throughout the Day

Barnyard Friends
Come meet farm animals and learn about what they eat and where they live! A great interactive experience for kids and families (and adults).
Location: TBA

Ask a Master Gardener/Composter
Bring your most vexing garden questions and challenges and the crack team of University of Illinois Extension Service Master Gardeners and Composters will help solve your problems!
Location: TBA

The Bug Brigade!
Meet interesting insects and learn about their lifecycles (and maybe even hold one!) at the University of Illinois Extension Service Master Gardeners and Composters table! We’ll also explore the lifecycle of a composting worm.
Location: TBA

And so much more to come....

Yoga at the Fair

Yoga classes are FREE! Bring your own mat. Check back soon for class schedule and teachers.

Room 1: All Things Garden

10:30-11am
Starting a Community Garden
Do you share a passion for growing your own food and or flowers but lack the space? There are many resources available to help you start a community garden on your block or in your neighborhood. Come learn shortcuts, successes, and how to build a network to make it happen.

11:15-11:45am
Going Native - Why Fight Mother Nature?
This presentation will outline the many plants that survive Chicago’s changeable climate, and in fact thrive with minimal care and water. The presentation will include which plants love our local soil and conditions, and which plants will attract all types of beneficial insects to your garden.

12-12:30pm
Backyard Chickens-Yes, You Can!
The urban chicken movement is growing! Find out the hows and whys of what you can do to have your own backyard coop—and fresh eggs and garden fertilizer to boot!

1:15-1:45pm
Keeping Bees
Come talk with local bee experts about what it takes to provide a bee friendly environment, if your situation can support an apiary, what it takes to maintain a hive, and how we can all keep bees alive and thriving in the urban environment.

2:00-2:30pm
Urban Composting
Whether it’s a worm bin in your high-rise kitchen, or a big compost pile in your backyard, turning certain types of landfill garbage into beautiful, black compost is easier (and less smelly) than you think!

2:45-3:15pm
The Urban Organic Garden - Food, Flowers, and Landscaping
The aesthetic and the functional can be combined to make beautiful pictures in your urban space. See designs to make your garden both more beautiful and abundant. We’ll talk about complimentary plants that support each other’s growth and look beautiful planted next to each other.

3:30-4:00pm
Balcony Gardening for Apartment Dwellers
Who says you need to be on the ground to have a garden? Learn how to make the most of your small space. Food, flowers, and space saving tips will be discussed.

4:15-4:45pm
Organic Alternatives to Garden Chemicals
What chemicals you use in your garden affects more than just your flowers. Find out alternatives to help your garden thrive and your family and environment stay healthy.

Room 2: All Things Sustainable

11-12pm
USGBC-Illinois presents Turning Existing Homes Green
Join us for an in-depth look at how existing homes can be remodeled green to create energy efficient, healthy, and durable homes. Examples will be shown, including a case study showing how a foreclosed home underwent a green transformation for an affordable cost. This presentation will review green certifications and detail the before and after scenarios.

12:30-1pm
Johnny Appleseed: Presentation for kids and families. Sponsored by Swedenborg Library
Join Swedenborg Library for this interactive presentation on the life and lessons about sustainability from Johnny Appleseed.

1:15-2:00pm
Safeguarding our Most Precious Resource
Join Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioners Frank Avila, Patricia Horton, and Mariyana Spyropoulos as they discuss the effect that toxic personal care products and agricultural herbicides and pesticides have on our water supply, and what we can all do to safeguard this precious resource.

2-3pm
Green Exchange Tenants Panel Discussion
Find out what the new tenants in the Green Exchange are doing to build the sustainability conversation here in Chicago.

3:30-4:30pm
Nutrition and Health
Learn about the correlations between diet and disease and how you can change your lifestyle to help you and your family thrive.

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