Green Bean Ball: Verdant Event Kicks Off Festival
Celebration Focuses On Sustainability, Eco-consciousness
Last updated Wednesday, October 8, 2008 4:21 PM CDT in Our Town
By Sara Sullivan
THE MORNING NEWS
Related Photos
FAYETTEVILLE -- A quietly whirring machine swirled cheery discs of color onto the sidewalk outside the East Square Plaza building on Oct. 3. Inside, about 50 people gathered for the Green Bean Ball, the kickoff event for the first Twist of Green Festival in Fayetteville.
The bouncy sounds of a keyboard, bongo drums and vocals from Ocie Fisher filled the arched red brick space.
Patrons perused tables of hors d'oeuvres like green bean roll-ups, corn and black bean wraps, chicken-tarragon profiteroles and chocolate-covered strawberries before settling into chairs in front of the dance floor or tables covered with sage green cloth. Two beverage dispensers offered orange punch or herbal tea.
Attendees were encouraged to wear green attire, and several obliged with sweaters, dresses and hats in varying hues.
While the occassional brave dancer, including a little blonde girl in a pink flowered dress (the leaves were bright green), traversed the dance floor, others meandered through art displays in an adjoining room separated by glass. Nature photographs and paintings of green hills joined other pieces of art from Eureka Fine Art Co., Heartwood Gallery and Terra Studios Inc.
The Twist of Green Festival, a two-day celebration of sustainability and eco-consciousness, took more than 18 months to plan, said Paul Flashnick, creator of the event. He and his son, Anders, spoke briefly about Twist and its purpose as "a green generator."
"For me, it was about kids," said the elder Flashnick. Teaching children sustainable practices will help them influence their parents, he said, who will in turn influence politicians.
"It's the kids that can start this movement," said the 13-year-old Flashnick. "This is our planet and if we mess it up, we have no place to go."
Anders Flashnick asked all the children present to look into the eyes of their parents and ask the question, "Is there time?" It was Anders' asking of that very question that prompted his father to found Sustainable Northwest Arkansas and conceive of the Twist of Green Festival.
"Anders is my hero," Paul Flashnick said.
They unveiled two posters: one for a Sustainable Science Fair to be held in 2009 (with scholarships provided from the proceeds of the Green Bean Ball), and another for next year's Twist of Green Festival.
This was never meant to be a pinnacle event, Paul Flashnick said, but an ongoing call to education and action.
The following two days offered patrons a long list of guest speakers, musical performers, activities and informational booths on green living.
Reader Comments (No comments posted.)
The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsibility of their authors. The Morning News does not review comments before their publication, nor do we guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by our comment policy. If you see a comment that violates our policy, please notify the web editor.
Not already registered?
