Dalton Park’s first EcoFest event has been hailed a huge success by shoppers, traders, retailers and official partner Climate Action North.
More than 1,500 people attended over the weekend with all workshops and activities fully booked in advance.
The two-day free festival was part of the ‘One Small Change’ campaign in partnership with Climate Action North and showcased small changes everyone can make to reduce their environmental impact.
An EcoMarket featured more than 25 regional traders selling sustainable items including pottery, ceramics, chocolate, wellbeing products, dog treats and much more.
The live entertainment was a hit and the willow crafting workshops were full throughout the weekend.
Lots of families took advantage of the sunshine with guided walks through the 55 acres of landscaped Parkland.
The EcoFashion catwalk displays featuring high quality, sustainable fashion available from brands at Dalton Park were a real talking point.
A pledge wall was also available for people to make their One Small Change promise with ideas including changing to LED bulbs, driving less and walking more, taking part in a beach clean, reducing food waste, planting more wildflowers and turning the heating down.
Louise Henderson from Bearkind, which sells eco-friendly dog products, said: “EcoFest was a great opportunity for us to share our message about sustainable dog ownership.
“It’s now estimated that 1 in 3 households have a dog – that’s a lot of carbon paw prints.
If we could encourage pet parents to make one small change it would be to move away from using plastic or biodegradable poop bags and start using compostable bags. It’s a simple switch that would make a huge difference, given how many an average person uses during their dog’s lifetime.”
Claire Smithson from Castle Eden attended EcoFest with her children Darcey and Lincoln. She said: “As a family we are very eco-aware, we have an electric car and chose our energy supplier based on their green credentials.
“We loved taking part in the Willow Workshop and walking round the Parkland. It’s a good reminder that we must all really must look after the planet so we can appreciate everything it has to offer us.”
Jerry Hatch, Centre Manager at Dalton Park, was delighted to see so many people enjoying spending quality time with each other at EcoFest.
He said: “EcoFest was a huge success and there was a real buzz around the centre throughout the weekend.
“Climate Action North’s #OneSmallChange campaign has really made people think about what they can do to play their part in tackling climate change.
“My one small change is to walk more and take the car less so I can reduce my carbon footprint while increasing my step count!
“EcoFest is the first of many exciting events planned here at Dalton Park in 2022, so it is a positive start to a very exciting year!”
Climate Action North’s Managing Director, Sharon Lashley, added: “We were thrilled with the success of EcoFest and how many people used the pledge wall to make their One Small Change commitment.
We collected over 120 pledges on the day, but the fact that over 1,500 guests attended the EcoFest on the day is a sign that people do want to explore more sustainable lifestyles and want to consider change – for our team this is a brilliant result and exactly what our One Small Change campaign is all about!”
