A young eco-warrior, one of Australia’s best-known faces in the war against waste, and a Masterchef finalist spruiking the joys of organic food will be among the stars to feature at the Living Smart Festival on Saturday.
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The Speers Point Park event – one of the largest of its type in regional Australia – aims to explore how families can embrace sustainable practices in everyday life.
Last year’s Living Smart Festival attracted more than 25,000 people.
Lake Macquarie City Council sustainability manager, Alice Howe, said this year’s instalment promised to be bigger and better, with a range of free activities, workshops and classes for all ages.
The festival will be split into five themed zones – Move, Grow, Eat, Live and Nature Play – each with a rolling schedule of activities throughout the day.
“Whether you want to be more sustainable at home, create ethically-produced meals for your family, revamp your wardrobe with pre-loved pieces or just enjoy a fun day out, this event is for you,” Dr Howe said.
Aboriginal dance classes, a backyard bee workshop, a sourdough baking demonstration and an 8am mass yoga class are among the free scheduled activities.
Among the all-day attractions will be a Raid My Wardrobe pop-up store, a native plant giveaway, and an animal petting zoo.
War on Waste’s Craig Reucassel will target the overuse of plastics and other waste in presentations at 10am and noon on the festival’s main stage.
“The message Craig delivers aligns closely with the Living Smart Festival and its values,” Dr Howe said.
Year 6 student Shalise Leesfield will join Lake Macquarie mayor Cr Kay Fraser on stage on Saturday morning to talk about sustainability and marine waste.
The 12-year-old has spearheaded clean-up campaigns targeting marine waste such as fishing line and nets, prompting authorities to install special fishing line bins in her home town of Lake Cathie, on the NSW Mid North Coast.
Previous Living Smart Festivals:
“I’m really looking forward to speaking at the festival about how we can take action in our daily lives by reducing, reusing and recycling to keep rubbish out of the ocean,” Shalise said.
“From my experiences over the past few years, age hasn’t been a barrier at all and I want to show other young people that they can help make a difference.”
Masterchef 2018 top 10 contestant Reece Hignell will feature in the Eat Zone with an 11am ‘Organics on a Budget’ workshop.
Cr Fraser said in keeping with the festival’s war on waste ethos, stallholders would not be supplying plastic bags, drinking straws or bottled water.
“Living Smart is Lake Macquarie’s biggest sustainability festival, demonstrating how people can live well while treading gently on our precious planet,” Cr Fraser said.
The festival kicks off on Friday night with an exclusive ‘Feast for the Senses’ dinner under the stars in Speers Point Park, featuring a menu of organic food created by Hunter Valley chef Jimmy Kerr.
Saturday’s main event starts at 8am, with an official opening by Cr Fraser and Shalise Leesfield at 9am.
A bicycle valet and free loop shuttle buses running from Croudace Bay and Toronto to Speers Point Park will operate throughout the day.
A free tram shuttle will also run every 15 minutes from the Council Works Depot on Creek Reserve Road, Speers Point, to Speers Point Park.
Go to livingsmartfestival.com for more information and to download a festival map and program.