Green Up Day Festival
Thetford Center, Vermont May 4th 2019
On Saturday, May 4th, 2019 we held our first annual Green Up Day Festival on the Thetford Center Green in the heart of Thetford Village, Vermont.
Over 200 people attended the event to participate in celebrating the mission of Green Up Day.
Families relaxed on the green space underneath the season’s first true warm Spring day with cold beers and fresh tacos prepared by TRAILBREAK taps + tacos. Children raced across the open field reveling in the freedom, playing frisbee, dancing, listening to Storytime presented by Latham Library, and creating underneath arts tent with Little Feet Children’s Center. Live music filled the air entertaining people of all ages. Performances by Chris Powers and Bow Thayer were more than phenomenal, bringing big stage presence to an intimate venue. Each Thetford school from pre-k to high-school was represented by student artwork, found in a cascading display alongside the green. This traditional Vermont family-oriented event was successfully enjoyed by all, with many requests for a repeat in 2020.
Inspiration for this event
came on a short car ride home on a cold winter evening. As a native to the Upper Valley, I have lived here for well over twenty years. I have also lived in parts of Vermont like Burlington, and places like Raleigh, North Carolina. A strong urge to leave the Upper Valley and rejoin those cities stems from a huge frustration with the lack of free community-oriented events and access to things like them. I knew on that car ride home when the idea came to mind, it was crucial that I stop waiting for the small town I resided in to become what I wished for and started making it happen instead.
Why This Was Important
As a young mother living in cities like Burlington, free community events and gatherings were crucial to my mental health. As an extroverted person with young children, orienting yourself to a new neighborhood can be difficult. Events like Kids Day, story times at the library, music lessons, and mom’s groups made developing friendships and community possible. Without these opportunities to meet mothers or people like myself, I would have felt isolated and alone. Three years later upon my return to my childhood home, that’s exactly what happened. Lack of opportunity to meet new people or even bring my children to affordable entertainment made living here both arduous and lonely. In addition to the community mindset, I found it critical to illustrate the many ways an event can be sustainable.
I chose Green Up Day Festival as the first community event I would develop because it demonstrated the three principles I live my life and operate my business on – sustainability, community, and charity.
Sustainability
Our 200 person event utilized products by Bio-Bags USA, trash and compost bags that are 100% compostable. This event was created using 100% compostable cups, and TRAILBREAK taps + tacos served their food with 100% compostable napkins and utensils. We concluded the event with less than a half pound of true trash, making 99% of the event’s waste RECYCLABLE or COMPOSTABLE!
Community
Our Green Up Day Festival was created with the community as a priority. Only local vendors were utilized to execute the event, from food to music to yoga to art. Yoga was hosted by local instructor Katie Cawley from Untitled Wellness and Jill Ann Cray. Storytime was hosted by the Thetford Latham Library. Food served by TRAILBREAK taps + tacos, a restaurant with a traveling food truck only 20 miles away. Music was produced by local artists Chris Powers and Bow Thayer. Artwork presented that day came from each Thetford School. Activities underneath the art tent were hosted by a local preschool, Little Feet Children’s Center. The entire event produced by Kay Mae Designs, with entertainment for individuals of all ages in mind. There was something there for everyone, produced by everyone in or nearby the town. A true community event.
Charity
Green Up Day Festival was supported by the charitable giving of local vendors like Casella Waste Management, K + R portable toilets, Power’s Song and Sound, Bow Thayer, Untitled Wellness, Watson’s Garage, Hannafords, Bees Wrap, and of course Kay Mae Designs. Typical Kay Mae Designs events support a charity of the client’s choosing, but in this case, it was the community who supported a common cause for the betterment of all. Together we provided an afternoon of comradery while exemplifying sustainable efforts. That’s the goal of Kay Mae Designs, to make the world a better place one event at a time.
Purpose
Watching a single mom attend with her two boys to play with the giant Connect 4 games we had created just for this event was the exact reward I needed for all of the hard work put forth to produce this event. I watched as she relaxed with fresh food on the grass and listened to the hum of live music. Her children quickly forged new friendships and entertained themselves with the many activities provided for them. A sweet, rare break for a hardworking parent. The relief in this small moment is a feeling I know all too well myself. Individuals and families are the units that make up our communities. When we care for them, we’re caring for the health of our entire community. That’s why Kay Mae Design’s produces these events. That’s why this type of work is important to us all.
Gallery
Be on the lookout for the next community event produced by Kay Mae Designs! Have an idea in mind or an event of your own? Connect with us here or follow us on Instagram!