Dirt Fest is an all inclusive Earth Day celebration for our dynamic Northern Michigan community. It is a means of communicating how to get involved with a multitude of environmental issues, both locally and globally, through a dialogue with music, art and small interactive workshops. Dirt Fest is a celebration filled with creative expression that plants the seed of environmental consciousness and provides the resources to help it grow.
This free festival begins at 2 p.m. and ends at 9 p.m. The event features four bands; Billy Strings & Don Julin (Traverse City), The Crane Wives (Grand Rapids), Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys (Ann Arbor) and Mr. B’s Joybox Express (Ann Arbor).
Workshops will include a Community Gardening & Permaculture Experience, How to Ferment Kim-chi followed by a Fermentation Panel Discussion, and a Composting Panel Discussion. In case not everyone is busy dancing or participating in one of our workshops we will also have various arts and crafts tables set up at the event for folks of all ages to take part in while the music plays.
To commence the festivities, Dirt Fest will be hosting a community bike ride, known as Tour de Traverse, in partnership with two Michigan non-profit organizations.
Use this pledge form to direct funds to these organizations by individuals who participate in our 8-mile community bike ride in Traverse City on April 20th, 2013. The form may also be used by those who want to make a donation without joining in the group ride.
Little Artshram, based in Traverse City, inspires and educates people of all ages to live creatively in harmony with nature through permaculture principles, visual, musical and puppet artistry, service to the natural world and inclusive social activism.
Riding a custom made trike, Mr. B’s Joybox Express hauls their 350-lb piano on community bicycle tours to raise awareness and funds for youth-based art and athletic programs. At the end of these group rides, Mr. B and his band spread the joy by engaging the community with a musical performance.
The bike brigade will depart from the NMC Welcome Center at 10 am on April 20th. At 11:30 a.m. the bike brigade will take a short break in the parking lot of Oryana Natural foods where they will join forces with the 24th annual Traverse City Earth Day Parade. The parade will begin at 12:30 p.m.; the bike brigade will end their ride at 2 p.m. at the NMC Welcome Center where Dirt Fest will begin.