Heights EcoFest returns to Coventry

Nema Saleem-Green, founder of The Mindful Mix, hosting a cardio-drumming demonstration at EcoFest '23.

View Image Gallery

After a year-long hiatus due to the Coventry PEACE Park remodel, Heights EcoFest returns to the revamped park on Saturday, June 7, noon to 4 p.m.—with plans to be even bigger and more impactful. Hosted by the Cleveland Heights Green Team (CHGT) and Heights Libraries" Coventry Village Branch, the festival connects Northeast Ohio residents with practical, sustainable alternatives to everyday choices, making it easier to live greener and healthier.

“We believe that each of us can make better choices that support the environment while also improving personal well-being,” said Maggie Kinney, Coventry Village Library manager and event co-organizer. “But we also realize that people are busy, and finding the right resources can be overwhelming. We want to make it easier for people to access solutions that are close to home and in our community.”

This fourth EcoFest is set to be the largest yet, thanks to the expanded space and heightened community interest. According to CHGT, 43 exhibitors have signed up—35% of them first-time participants.

For Leah Finegold of City Fresh, a farm-box program that expands food access while supporting local farmers, EcoFest is the perfect platform to introduce residents to sustainable, affordable ways to secure fresh produce. “We are starting to see consumer concerns due to changes in federally funded programs,” Finegold explained. “We want to make sure our community knows they have healthy, planet-friendly options.” To support this mission, City Fresh will be enrolling eligible families to receive $140 in nutrition vouchers at the event.

EcoFest is designed to be highly interactive, offering activities such as yoga, cardio drumming, poetry writing, upcycle art making, and a scavenger hunt for young nature explorers.

One especially engaging feature of the event is the community gifting table, organized by Cordelia Eddy, founding administrator of Buy Nothing Cleveland Heights-University Heights. “We believe communities thrive when neighbors gift, ask, borrow, and share food, skills, and everyday items instead of participating in an endless cycle of waste and consumption,” said Eddy. EcoFest attendees are encouraged to bring items to gift and to take what they need.

For Matt Moore, executive director of the Coventry Village Special Improvement District (CVSID), EcoFest is more than an environmental event—it is a community-building opportunity and a cultural catalyst for change. “Coventry has a rich history and has been known since the ‘60s as Cleveland’s epicenter for counterculture. In Coventry, it is woven into the way people practice business, the ways they worship, even the ways they enjoy leisure and craft their homemaking. That is why it is the perfect venue to celebrate ecological stewardship, creation care, and environmental justice,” said Moore. He encourages attendees to explore the district’s iconic establishments, which include vegan-friendly Tommy’s Restaurant, cultural torchbearer Mac’s Backs Books, and Passport to Peru, along with several of the best antique/secondhand spots on Cleveland’s east side (The Exchange, Uncover, Avalon Exchange, and Attenson’s Antiques & Books).

Co-sponsored by CVSID, FutureHeights, and the Fund for the Future of Heights Libraries, EcoFest is a one-of-a-kind regional event. “It’s a fun experience for the entire family,” Kinney noted. “Bring a blanket to relax in the PEACE Park green space or try yoga with Abide Yoga Cleveland; take a walk through the mini forest and climb on the new playground; enjoy the music, games, and artistic performances. There really is something for everyone.”

For complete details, including directions, parking information, and a list of partners,  visit www.chgreenteam.org.