In two months, Boston’s City Hall Plaza will be transformed from brick red and concrete gray to green.  Friday and Saturday, August 21-22, is Boston’s second annual GreenFest, and Karen Weber, chairman of the festival, is ricocheting all over town to prepare for it. 

In short, Boston GreenFest is a gathering of all things green: from green roofs to green fashion.  It’s an opportunity to learn everything you ever wanted about going green in the city.  It’s also a chance for green businesses to present themselves to the public. 

“We want to encourage green thinking beyond changing light bulbs,” said Weber, “if you believe you should be there, you should be there.”

Boston GreenFest came together by surprise in 2008 when AltWheels, an organization specializing in alternative energy and transportation, couldn’t host their annual festival.  Lucky for the vendors that had already planned to take part, Weber swooped in to sweep up what AltWheels had begun.   In eight weeks, she and a small crew brought together 125 exhibitors and a slew of entertainers in what became Boston’s first annual GreenFest, and it was a massive success.

Weber’s influences for the festival combine her wide variety of interests.  As the executive director for Foundation for a Green Future,  Weber encourages communities to adopt green roofs onto their homes and businesses, but her larger vision of creating sustainable communities is embodied in the festival.  In addition to hosting a Green Film Fest, a Green Town Meeting and a variety of green events, entertainment will include everything from an environmental rapper, to a Kung Fu demonstration.

Her ten-year-old triplets, Franchesca, Alicia and Jacob, have been a huge source of inspiration in her planning.  Francesca, who aspires to be a green fashion designer, came up with the Green Fashion Show, for which she is volunteering.  Alicia and Jacob, who both aspire to be scientists, are especially excited about the Underwater Sea Adventures hosted by the New England Aquarium.  And of course, Green roofs will also be a major feature.

This year Weber intends to double the number of vendors at the festival, and to step up the entertainment.  In organizing 22 action teams ranging anywhere from green restaurants to a wide variety of local nonprofits, there is very little green subject matter the festival won’t cover.  Check out the website to see their constantly growing list. 

“We have a right to sustainable life,” Weber said.  “A lot of people think that creating and maintaining a green world is too big for them.  We want everyone to understand what the connections between us and our planet are, and then we can move forward.  We can find a path that’s powerful, green and long-lasting.”

Except for the food, attending the 2009 Boston GreenFest is free.  If you are a potential vendor interested in participating in the festival, please contact Karen Weber at karen@bostongreenfest.org.