Let's not kid ourselves - Miami certainly isn't the greenest city going. We've got a few years of cultural catch-up to do before composting is a backyard habit, vegans are able to easily find food, and riding public transportation is a viable option.
But hope lives, and do-gooders are forging ahead to help our stunning city stay sustainable. Case in point: Next week, Miami's Captain Planet-style heroes are hosting Sustainatopia, an Earth Day festival featuring a crazy conglomeration of eco-friendly food, design, music, films, fashion, art, and lots of other Mother Earth-approved distractions.
So, if you totally spaced that next weekend is Earth Day, but want to get your green on nonetheless, have no fear. Sustainatopia's got plenty of ways for you to celebrate your home planet and rock your party pants while you're at it. Not sure where to start? Check out our list of the fest's top events.
1. Revolution!
Dubbed "the party for young social entrepreneurs," the opening night
shindig kicks off Thursday, April 19th at Miami Event Space. This 600-person
soiree will honor 12 of Miami's socially conscious superstars. Who
doesn't love a good awards ceremony, especially when drinks are
involved? (And they are, as are light bites.) General admission tickets cost
$25, $50 for VIP.
2. Carnivalia
Spend your Saturday night at a bacchanal that
aims to channel the green movement in a furor of color, movement, and
music. This Carnival-style South Beach bash will feature circus
performers, Brazilian drummers, and a once trash/now treasure Chinese
New Year-style street dragon. Sweet. It kicks off at 7 p.m. on the beach at
17th street, and it's free of charge.
3. EarthFest
This Earth Day (Sunday, April 22), get your family on in Coral
Gables. EarthFest promises kid-friendly fun and food to boot. And it's free. So gather the
gang and ride your tandem bikes out for this eco-licious outing. It
starts at 12 p.m. outside the Gables City Hall.
4. consciousness.love.food.fashion
Show some love for your fellow sentient beings -- furry ones included. At
consciousness.love.food.fashion, attendees can get educated on the
connection between consciousness and food, all while digging some
cutting edge clothes. For $50, you can snag a seat at this Delano event,
and come away more convinced to eat responsibly than that week-long period when you gave up
McDonald's after reading Fast Food Nation. The enlightenment begins at
6 p.m. Sunday.
5. Sustainatopia Honors
Finally, the culmination of green goodness and the festival's
flagship event, Sustainatopia Honors, will kick off Monday, April 23rd
at 6:15 p.m. at the Jackie Gleason Theater. For $25 (or $100 VIP), you're
invited to ogle celebs, check out a tribute to the Heroes of the Deep
(filmmaker James Cameron, Eric Schmidt of Google, Bruce Jones of Triton
Submarine and Richard Branson/Chris Welsh of Virgin Oceanic), and catch a
whole host of other performances. So get gussied up and go.
With all the green goodness going around, you'll be hard pressed to
ignore Mother Earth this April 22nd. So go on, give her a little sugar
via Sustainatopia. She's earned it.
--Hannah Sentenac
Follow Cultist on Facebook and Twitter @CultistMiami.
