This afternoon, I headed over to Ballard (short walk+3+18) for the third annual Sustainable Ballard Festival. Sustainable Ballard is a nonprofit organization that has gained national attention for working to make Ballard the first carbon-neutral community in the nation.

Today was my first time attending the festival. I gave a short talk at the transportation tent and then spent the rest of the afternoon checking out the booths and learning from the other presenters.

Metro and the Ballard in Motion folks were there. They were giving away coloring books for kids. I took one for my Godson, Isaac (aka Zaky). And one for me.

Highlights:
• The talk right after mine, which was all about how to overcome your fear of riding a bike in traffic
• The solar energy and urban design booths
• The free samples at the SPUD (Small Potatoes Urban Delivery) booth and the stickers they were giving out: “Bite me. I’m organic.”
• Meeting a bus chick named Kristen (hope I spelled that correctly), who’s so serious about busing she’s doesn’t even have a driver’s license

All in all, it was an educational and fun event–a great way to enjoy a beautiful Sunday afternoon.