by Jo Freeman

Mother Earth was celebrated over the Mother's Day weekend at the DC Green Festival, one of five held around the country during the year. This year health and body products dominated among a wide variety of commercial and educational booths.

MOM's (Organic Market) was passing out food (bananas and chips) as you entered the hall. That's what Mom's do, though on Mother's Day they expect a little something back. Over two days MOM's gave out a thousand pounds of bananas, but was still working its way through 225 cases of 1 oz bags of Route 11 Potato Chips when Greenfest ended.

It wasn't a free event (except for cyclists who got in free by showing their helmet), though there were all sorts of freebies. Quorn foods were passing out a non-chicken salad made from mycoprotein that looked, felt and tasted like the real thing. You could sample half a dozen different GoMacro bars or Lundberg Family Farms rice and quinoa crackers.

Kia Motors (South Korea’s second largest car company) was letting attendees test-drive three electric models. I tried out the Soul EV. Nice car, but it felt really weird to be driving a car and hear no noise.

Pain relief was a big thing. Pisauna uses near infrared heaters to achieve "total detoxification" after sitting in a red cedar box soaking up the heat. Felt wonderful. Not only were there many booths selling devices and services to relieve pain, but foods and herbs as well.

In addition to the booths, one area was devoted to yoga. It was an almost continual class, though the theme changed as did the instructors and the level of difficulty. Another was for musical performers. A third featured speakers. Food, health and the environment were the general themes, but politics and policy were not far behind.

Featured was Jill Stein, who ran for President as the Green Party candidate in 2016 and 2012. She said that in the last week she has been denounced by both Kellyanne Conway and Rachel Maddow, which must mean she was doing something right.

Greenfestivals will be going to NYC next, followed by LA, SF, and Fort Lauderdale, FL this year.

Catch it where you can.

©2017 Jo Freeman for SeniorWomen.com

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