Go green with blinking bikes, festival and more

Environmental awareness and applying green techniques to one's lifestyle are some of the themes surrounding this year's Earth Day festivities.

Perhaps one of the valley's largest events is GREENFest, slated from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Town Square Las Vegas, 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. South. The free fest is scheduled to feature stations for recycling , document shredding and electronic waste . Food, children's activities and live entertainment also are planned.

Tracy Skenandore, Evergreen Recycling director of marketing, said that providing recycling opportunities for attendees may encourage them to go green at home.

"We feel as a community, we could be recycling more because we have one of the lowest recycling rates nationwide," Skenandore said. "Hopefully, people in the community will sense that and want to do it at home."

Annette Bubak, Distinct Energy Performance director of marketing, said the activities offered at GREENFest are designed to cover all aspects of being environmentally friendly, from eating healthy to conserving water and energy.

"There are so many facets to the festival," Bubak said. "We are really reaching to everybody. You can be a light shade of green trying to learn about the environment or an expert on (these facets). There's something for everybody."

Another event that combines going green initiatives is the Blinking Man Bike Ride, scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Huntridge Tavern, 1122 E. Charleston Blvd. In its third consecutive year, the Blinking Man Bike Ride invites community members who are at least 21 years old to join the free mass bike ride throughout downtown Las Vegas.

Kathleen Kahr, a Blinking Man Bike Ride organizer , said the event is designed to encourage people to save gas, exercise and meet fellow community members through its bike bar crawl.

"The goal at the end of the day is to get one more person riding their bicycle downtown," Kahr said. "The return for us each year is that zero gallons of gas are consumed, and people have brought friends who have brought bicycles."

Kahr said she expects that more than 100 people will participate in the bike ride this year, which has scheduled stops on Las Vegas and Casino Center boulevards and bars in the Fremont East Entertainment District.

Keeping with the theme of families and communities coming together and promoting green initiatives is Susanne Forestieri, an artist who plans to lead a workshop for all ages using recyclable materials from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday at The Arts Factory, 107 E. Charleston Blvd. Forestieri said the workshop, which costs $5 per person, is designed to encourage an environmentally friendly lifestyle and an appreciation for art.

"I want to have things for everyone, including things younger kids can work with, like egg cartons," Forestieri said. "I hope it helps to get people to come down rather than just on First Friday."

Another community event happening a week after Earth Day and extending beyond April is Greener Blocks, slated for April 28 and 29 downtown. The event is designed to bring together community members interested in transforming select blocks in the valley, from abandoned properties to budding businesses, in sustainable ways, beginning with a block of Main Street downtown near the Arts District.

Bubak believes that no matter how residents celebrate Earth Day, one universal idea takes precedence.

"It's not just an environmental message we're speaking," Bubak said. "It's about homeowners and residents taking sustainability ownership of their lives. No matter what their motivation is, (Earth Day) is about joining together to preserve our Earth and covering all areas of sustainability."

Contact Paradise/Downtown View reporter Lisa Carter at lcarter@viewnews.com or 383-4686.