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Ecofest Rescheduled After Irene, But Loses Solar Power

By Mathew Katz | September 13, 2011 5:32pm
Ecofest's organizers are scrambling to find a new source of solar power.
Ecofest's organizers are scrambling to find a new source of solar power.
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Flickr/David Reeves

HELL'S KITCHEN — After Hurricane Irene forced green expo Ecofest to postpone, the event is set to take place Sunday — but organizers are now scrambling to find a new solar power provider.

For the past few years, the festival has operated "off-the-grid" — without using any city-provided power. After Mother Nature delayed the festival, its original provider of solar power, Sunweaver Solar, could not make the alternative date.

“We are determined to use renewable energy for all of our power," said organizer Nanci Callahan of the West Side Cultural Center. "And we’re going to find it."

Callahan said organizers are now looking for someone else who can outfit the fair with solar panels, or even donate fuel cells for the day.

Now in its 23rd year, Ecofest is an event where people can get information about green products and services, as well as sign on to environmentally considerate political causes.

Coming off the tail end of Fashion Week, this year's Ecofest will also feature an eco-fashion show on "ice." Figure-skating models will glide around in green-couture outfits on plastic "eco-ice," which doesn't require any kind of refrigeration.

Ecofest 2011 starts at 11 a.m. on Sept. 18. It's free to the public and takes place at Pier 86, by the Intrepid Museum.