Greentopia Festival Expands Scope and Calendar of Activities

ROCHESTER, NY--(Marketwire - Jul 17, 2012) - Based on last year's successful Greentopia Festival, the event is expanding its scope and calendar for 2012, its sophomore year. Greentopia will be held over seven days, September 10-16, 2012 and feature four distinct events including Greentopia | FILM, Greentopia | MUSIC, Greentopia | INNOVATION, and making a return from last year, Greentopia | ECOFEST. A Greentopia | ART component is also planned for the month of September.

"For our first year we expected 5,000 people for our two-day event, and almost 20,000 attended," said Lewis Stess, co-founder, Greentopia Festival. "It's obvious that this area is hungry for more information about the sustainability movement, so we're building upon our success to launch a bigger, more in-depth festival for this, our second year."

Greentopia, a premier gathering of thought leaders and visionaries, uses film, music, art, fashion and innovation to share its message to reduce, reuse, recycle and rethink. Based in Rochester, NY, there's no other festival like it in the entire northeast. Greentopia 2012 also features associated events throughout the city that allow for unique community partnerships with area nonprofit organizations and businesses.

"We're generating a groundswell of support in our region, and we can't wait to launch our new expanded program for this year," added Stess.

Greentopia | FILM (September 11-15) presents documentaries (full length or shorts) that are about topics related to and focus on sustainability, green business practices, environmental issues and more. This 'festival within a festival' will be a platform from which movie producers, directors and actors meet to share their films and discuss the future of sustainability in an entertaining way.

Greentopia | MUSIC (September 14-15) hosts a concert series featuring artists that have the same vision and mission as the festival: to motivate, educate and inspire people to adopt sustainable practices into their everyday lives. There will also be a classical music component curated by the Ying Quartet, a world-renowned orchestral group known for its creative explorations. Additionally, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra principal pops conductor and arranger Jeff Tyzik will debut an original score commissioned for Greentopia.

Greentopia | INNOVATION (September 15) is a dynamic business conference that focuses on the new green economy, technologies and design. This business to business event offers the opportunity for attendees to network, obtain new insights, share best green practices, and discover hands-on, innovative solutions and practical answers to today's sustainability issues.

Greentopia | ECOFEST (September 15-16) is similar to last year's program: a two-day world's fair of art, ideas and activism where attendees can immerse themselves in everything sustainable. There will be special kids' activities; mouth-watering organic and local food and beverages; an alternative fuel vehicle show; and vendors who specialize in and support ecological responsibility.

Greentopia | ART (September 1-30) is a city-wide celebration of sustainability demonstrated by local artists who use recycled or sustainable materials. With large sculptures scattered throughout Rochester including the Strong Museum, the Farmer's Market, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester Museum and Science Center, and University of Rochester; and green artworks exhibited at many galleries throughout the city, Greentopia | ART is expected to be one of the largest city-wide art happenings in the history of the region.

About Greentopia

Greentopia is a premier gathering of thought leaders and visionaries using film, music, art, fashion and innovation to share our message to reduce, reuse, recycle and rethink. Based in Rochester, NY, there's no other festival like it in the entire northeast. With almost 20,000 attendees in 2011, we're generating a groundswell of support in our region. Greentopia is a fundraising project supporting Friends of the GardenAerial, a non-profit group devoted to sensitive, sustainable development of the High Falls and Genesee River Gorge in Rochester. 

For more on the Greentopia Festival, visit http://www.greentopiafestival.com. Connect with Greentopia on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/Greentopiafest) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/greentopiafest)