For over twenty years, the city of Ann Arbor has been hosting an annual Green Fair as an opportunity to focus on sustainability in the local community. This year, the free, open-to-all event is once again immersing itself into the streets of downtown Ann Arbor with a variety of fun ways for individuals to get involved.
“It’s just this catalytic opportunity to see the community in action in a given spot,” Director of Sustainability and Innovations for the Ann Arbor Office of Sustainability and Innovations Missy Stults said. “Learn more, sign up to engage if you’re interested and be a part of this community of sustainability experts, advocates [and] activists that we have here in our group.”
2025 A2ZERO Green Fair is on Sept. 19 from 5-8 p.m. Downtown Ann Arbor’s Main Street and adjacent areas will be renamed in relation to the major event themes surrounding renewable electricity, waste reduction, community building, conservation and more.
This event is family-friendly, also featuring a kids corner for youth and family engagement. All of the work done by Green Fair is part of the city of Ann Arbor’s larger push towards a just and equitable carbon-neutral future.
“A lot of people will come for [Green Fair],” Stults said. “Some people will be out to dinner and be like, ‘what is this?’ Sometimes we get football traffic from folks from other cities who are here for a game the next day and those are great conversations where they say things like, ‘I wish my community did this,’ and that’s kind of an extraordinary booster shot of energy.”
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One of the new features of the event is a clothing swap on Circularity Street, where individuals can bring up to five items to donate, and take five items to keep. Attendees can also bring clothing that they want screen printed to make for unique merch commemorating the event, while also upcycling. Many of Green Fair’s initiatives showcase how sustainability can be integrated into daily life routines while also being fun.
“There are so many opportunities for [individuals] to join the movement, whether they’re already in the movement, they can grow the work that they’re doing, and there’s a community behind them and ready to support them. Or whether they’re ready to raise their hand and come in any way, shape or form but there are people, institutions, [and] partners who are ready to help them be wildly successful. This movement is open to everyone.”
Green Fair is still looking for community collaborators to join as exhibitors. This work is part of the community’s carbon neutrality plan and recognizes individuals and local organizations who are committed to sustainability efforts.
“I love seeing our community together in this way,” Stults said. “It’s really incredible to have 100-plus community collaborators in the same space all working towards the same vision of a healthy, safe, viable future for everybody.”
Individuals can attend Green Fair for the entire time or just part of the event to engage with sustainability efforts in a unique way. The key theme areas are perfect for those who have specific interests to explore, or provide a variety of offerings if interested in diverse sustainability efforts.
“Sustainability can be really fun and it can be really purposeful, and sometimes it’s heavy, and moments like green fair are a chance where we see the fruit of that work, and we see the unity in that work,” Stults said. “So I hope people really do get their cups full at green fair.”
Learn more about Green Fair here and attend the event on Sept. 19 from 5-8 p.m located on Main Street in Ann Arbor.
