Simply Living at Midwest Fair Trade Fest

Y'all Come!  Midwest Fair Trade Fest on Saturday, May 12, 10 am - 5 pm at the OSU 4H Center, 2201 Fred Taylor Drive,

Simply Living is a sponsor this year and more than 1000 attendees are expected!  This day long festival and conference will embrace culture and educate our community on Fair Trade practices. The event will feature cultural performances from a wide range of international dance and musical groups, Fair Trade and Green vendors, renowned speakers on Fair Trade and sustainability issues (including Simply Living!), and fabulous ethnic foods from Global Gallery’s Global Kitchen. Tickets are only $5 (kids under 10 free).

Simply Living will have a table spreading the word about our programs and services to an audience who will be very open and sympathetic to our mission and values. And we will be offering two workshops this year!  Here are the details...

Local Economy: Making it Fair!  11 am
Chuck Lynd, chair of the Support Our Local Economy (SOLE) coalition, and Matt Shad, Vice President of the Economic and Community Development Institute (ECDI), a small business micro-lender, will share how programs like Think Columbus First, Celebrate Local, and Invest Local Ohio are keeping dollars local. SOLE's coalition of locavores, independent businesses, and locally-bred organizations help businesses become stable through business training, networking, and access to financing.

Localization: The Alternative to Economic Globalization 2 - 4:30 pm
We begin with the showing of an award-winning, 65-minute film, Economics of Happiness, that documents the negative impacts of our global economy and explores emerging localization strategies related to food, energy, trade, transportation, and more. Discussion will follow, including two presentations about local initiatives in central Ohio. The first is about Simply Living's new role as Transition Hub in Central Ohio, and the second is about the Support Our Local Economy (SOLE) coalition and its Think Columbus First campaign. Participants will learn how to get involved and support both these initiatives.  Presenters are from Simply Living: Mac Crawford, Co-Leader of the Transition Hub, affiliated with the International Transition Town movement; and Chuck Lynd, Chair of the SOLE Coalition, affiliated with the national Business Alliance for Local Living Economies.

Tickets available at any Global Gallery location. Please call 614 621-1744 or 614 262-5535 for more information! 

Bring friends and family and help us spread the word!  This is the 2rd year for this event and we want it to keep growing!