Hoboken Goes Green in First-Ever Eco-Fair

For a few hours on Saturday afternoon, dense, urban Hoboken felt like a pastoral countryside during the City's first-ever Green Fair at Pier A Park. More than forty eco-friendly businesses and civic groups manned vendor tables to share information and sell flowers, plants and other green goods.

The fair was part of Hoboken's participation in the state of New Jersey's Sustainable Jersey initiative, which encourages municipalities and communities to promote conservation, recycling and other environmental programs. The City's “Green Team,” comprised of city employees and community activists, organized the fair.

“Hoboken is a certified community through Sustainable Jersey,” said Chris Brown, a planner with the City's community development department. “Having the Green Fair gives the City more points within the program, which leads to a higher certification level.” More than 360 New Jersey municipalities have registered with Sustainable Jersey, but only 108 are certified like Hoboken.

In addition to municipal employees, the Green Team includes several members of Hoboken's community activist group the Quality of Life Coalition, and its affiliated groups the Committee for a Green Hoboken and the Shade Tree Commission.

“We're trying to raise awareness within the community to show people simple things they can do in their own homes,” said QLC member Melissa Abernathy.

The City ushered the Green Fair with a slate of , including seminars at various community locations throughout the city on urban agriculture, energy conservation and recycling, as well as a film screening of the movie Earth Days.

Of the 42 vendor tables several had ties to Hoboken, including the Hoboken Historical Museum, which offered a history-themed bicycle tour; advocacy group Bike Hoboken; the Hoboken Cove Association, which offered free kayak trips on the Hudson River; the new community group; and local businesses Bin There Store That, Devotion Yoga, Home Economics, Empire Realty, Seasonal Health and Bijou Properties, .

Adam Merran, owner of the new Bio and Chic store at 262 First St. displayed his company's disposable tableware made of organic items like bamboo, palm leaves and wood.

“The Green Team approached us to exhibit here,” Merran said. “It's exciting for us, as a new business in Hoboken, to showcase our products.”

One of the most popular attractions was the two fully electric and one hybrid automobiles displayed by husband and wife Michael and Pamela Thwaite. The two Warren, N.J. residents tour green fairs throughout the country to promote electric cars, including the electric Tesla and BMW that they personally own.

Michael Thwaite said that while the easiest place to use an electric car is a home with a garage and an outlet nearby, cities could entice residents who park on public streets to drive electric cars by offering them electricity. He said for example that in a city like Hoboken the lamp posts and parking meters could be retrofitted to provide electricity.

“I imagine the city could make that happen quite easily if it wanted to reduce its carbon footprint,” he said.