Dearborn Goes Green This Weekend at CARES Festival

Only a week after the brought Middle Eastern culture to the streets of Dearborn, another weekend event will showcase something completely different: the culture of sustainability.

The Community Action for a Renewed Environment and Sustainability, or CARES Festival, will begin 6 p.m. Friday in . Hosted by the Dearborn Sustainability Coalition and The Going Green Foundation, the event will run through Sunday and raise money to help the city install energy-saving LED streetlights, according to its website.

The DSC formed last summer to promote community discussion and action regarding clean energy, food safety, energy savings and farming. TGGF, meanwhile, maintains an organic farm at Crowley Park, where it has 2.5 acres of land reserved for sustainable development.

The pair launched the CARES Festival this year to build momentum for the local sustainability movement and improve Dearborn’s future, according to the event’s website.

While this weekend’s festival is free, individuals and families can purchase a weekend-long pass that allows them to camp in Crowley Park both Friday and Saturday nights. Food and free swimming Saturday at the Crowley Pool are also included.

After a pizza party to kick off the festival Friday, there will be a free showing of No Impact Man, a family film about living sustainably, along with music.

Saturday will feature the “Goin ... Going ... GREEN! 5K Run/Walk” at 8:30 a.m., the proceeds of which will go to the Adopt-A-Watt Program. Dearborn joined the program in January to help finance the installation of LED streetlights. Registration for the 5K is $15.

Following the run, there will be a bike parade and swimming at the Crowley Pool. The evening will conclude with a family-style barbecue–complete with organic beef and veggie dogs–along with an open mic talent show.

For more information, visit www.dearborncaresfestival.org. Festival and Run/Walk registration can be found at www.thegoinggreenfoundation.org.