When the Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts (EAFA) was first conceived of eight years ago, its main goal was to be a more locally focused alternative to the Allentown Art Festival, with cheaper booth prices for artists and greater accessibility. While all of that is still true, EAFA has come of age since then. It’s achieved the numbers—180 artists, 40 community organizations, more than 40 musicians, bands and dance troupes, tens of thousands of visitors annually—that prove that it’s no fly-by-night operation, and is now refocusing its energies to build on the features and highlights that have made it a truly one-of-a-kind festival. EAFA itself has become such a high-profile entity that it’s now being used, in a positive way, to make political and environmental statements, as evidenced on the festival’s Web site. There it states, “Art cannot thrive, because we can’t, in an environment that is sick or a community without peace.”

That’s right, EAFA is going green, and in a big way. Besides reprising its “Environmental Row,” a collection of seven community environmental organizations strung out along Auburn Avenue, this year the festival will become the first in WNY to not only educate attendees about sustainability, but to also attempt to be environmentally sustainable. To that end, 50 recycling bins will be posted throughout the four-block stretch of Elmwood between Lafayette and W. Ferry for use by festivalgoers, and a volunteer crew will make sure all garbage and recyclables are separated. In addition, the festival’s merchants will work with Erie County to compost all vegetable waste from the two-day event. One of the two stages will be solar-powered—another local first.

Speaking of green, EAFA’s renowned Kid’s Fest, which seeks to expose young people to high quality art at an early age, has a tree theme this year, in memory of the trees that were damaged by last year’s October Storm. Festival organizers wanted to acknowledge the trees and build early awareness of the beauty, variety and usefulness of trees. At the same time, kids will be encouraged to conserve, recycle and reuse. Future environmentalists will be able to reuse newspapers by turning them into origami paper hats, make leaf rubbings, oil hand-carved wooden sculptures, make the fallen trees into building logs and participate in planting a tree.

Another festival highlight will be a performance by Configuration Dance, accompanied by gypsy-jazz band Babik. Configuration Dance, which will soon embrace, and be embraced by, Buffalo as its hometown, is an internationally renowned troupe who blends classical ballet with contemporary dance. Configuration will reprise an excerpt from No Time Jazz, and will premiere a portion of a new piece by Michael Shannon. See them at 2pm on the Main Stage at Elmwood and Lafayette.

As this is the first EAFA since local music and art icon Mark Freeland passed away, there will be a special performance on Sunday to celebrate and honor his life’s work. Starting at 4pm in the Dance Tent at the Unitarian Universalist Church, Freeland’s life partner Carla, David Kane, Bud Redding, the Painkillers and other friends will gather to pay tribute to one of Buffalo’s greatest creative spirits.

The Elmwood Festival of the Arts takes place rain or shine on Saturday, August 25, 10am-6pm, and Sunday, August 26, 11am-5pm. All festivities are free and open to the public. Organizers expect nearly 100,000 visitors over the course of the two-day event, so consider riding a bike or taking the bus, as parking and traffic will be congested. They further recommend that you leave your pets at home.