Old Bakery Beer Company provides needed shelter to annual Riverbend Earth Day Festival

Apr 29, 2017 5:41 PM Apr 30, 2017 12:30 PM

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ALTON - For the first time since its incarnation, the Riverbend Earth Day Festival was held indoors.

Amy Curry of The Nature Institute, who helped organize the event, said the change of setting did not deter the spirit of the event, saying as many as 200 people came through the event in the early hours.

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"We didn't know how it was going to work out this year," she said. "But, it's been pretty good so far."

Instead of being held at Piasa Harbor, it was moved to Old Bakery Beer Company. Old Bakery owner James Rogalsky said he was happy to accommodate.

"They called us on Monday, because of the weather forecast," he said. "They had a plan B, but it was in a building that needed a lot of work, so when they called, we were happy to help. We swept up the brewery and got it ready."

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Vendors from across the Riverbend were on hand to sell goods and share information regarding the benefit of Mother Earth. Demonstrations for children were also occurring, including an interactive activity with a 12 foot long reticulated python.

Christine Favila of the local Piasa Palisades branch of the Sierra Club was also on the planning committee. She said Old Bakery was a perfect location, due to its dedication to brewing with organic ingredients as well as community development.

"We couldn't ask for a better place to put it," she said. "Old Bakery has always been really committed to staying organic, being sustainable and helping the community."

Because of the amount of people coming to Old Bakery, Favila said the staff was worried about the kitchen being overwhelmed with the influx of people, so she was able to sell premade food from Grassroots Grocery, which she said was a bonus fundraiser for another local business committed to sustainability, organic produce and all things beneficial to the earth being celebrated during Saturday's event.