Family Fun at First Ever Common Good Festival
PRESS RELEASE – Western Mass – In the midst of a recession, a Common Good Economy can sound like an unreachable far-off future. But visitors to the Common Good Festival this Sunday may get a taste of that future.
Common Good Finance, the festival’s nonprofit organizer, has a plan for a democratic, local economic system where communities everywhere gather to decide for themselves what their funding priorities should be – for sustainable agriculture and energy systems, for local self-reliance, for ensuring that everyone has healthy food, a home, healthcare, satisfying work, and a livable world.
The first-ever Common Good Festival, on the Amherst Town Common this Sunday, July 10th from 11-7, will celebrate the launch of Common Good Finance’s campaign for a Common Good Economy. With clear weather in the forecast, this free event promises fun for the whole family. The festival will include music, food, children’s activities, games to learn about money and economics, local small business vendors, sustainability booths, and informational tables.
Musical performances throughout the day include award-winning activist songwriters Emma’s Revolution, New York-based recording artists Kim and Reggie Harris, Grammy-winning Native American flute player Joseph FireCrow, Western Massachusetts reggae band Rebel Alliance, Award-winning Pioneer Valley songwriter Tom Neilson, and local country/bluegrass/old time trio Green River String Band.
Other performances include magical interludes by Jeff Pyzocha, one of Western Massachusetts’ most up-and-coming magicians, a comedic musical routine by Jonathan Mirin of the Piti Theater Company, and a puppet show by face-paint artist Eve Chrisophe.
To satisfy the stomach, delicious food will be available from The Bakers’ Oven (several kinds of pizza, including vegetarian options, and cold drinks), The Bistro Box (paninis, salads, iced drinks, and more), and Maple Valley Ice Cream.
For children there will be cooperative games, an arts table, bubbles, balloons, and the Orbitron, a human-powered gyroscope ride. Shenandoah of Alotta Hoopla will demonstrate hula hooping while dancing to the music, as well as teaching participants how to keep the hoop spinning on their hips. Most of the activities are free.
Over fifteen local sustainability and social justice activist groups and businesses will showcase their work at the festival — everything from solar power to worm composting, from Community Supported Agricultural groups to educational programs, from political groups to alternative economic groups. Local vendors will be selling hand-made crafts, clothing, jewelry, henna art, hand-made shoes, ceramics, and books.
The festival website is CommonGoodFestival.com. The website for Common Good Finance is CommonGoodBank.com. For more information, please call (413) 628-3336 (9 AM to 7:30 PM Eastern Time), or e-mail info@CommonGoodBank.com.