This year, I decided to leave the Las Vegas fireworks behind for a quieter, greener New Year’s celebration.
I was delighted to find Spokane, Washington’s Winter Festival of Arts & Entertainment, called First Night. Interestingly, the First Night tradition began in Boston for the 1976 Bicentennial celebration. Now the tradition has spread to more than 200 cities in North America, Great Britain, New Zealand and Australia.
So what is First Night? First Night is a community celebration of the New Year through the arts. For only $12, 30,000 Spokane attendees enjoyed hours of culture and entertainment.
Forty-five venues throughout downtown Spokane hosted 150 performances and exhibitions, including everything from ice sculpting to stand-up comedy and belly dancing.
Event coordinators invite participation by people of all ages, and First Night’s charter prohibits the sale or sponsorship of alcoholic beverages at its events.
Much of the event was hosted inside Spokane’s 100-acre Riverfront Park and the adjacent Spokane Convention Center, which includes the INB Performing Arts Center.
The citizens of Spokane are clearly proud of their green heritage. The site was originally home to Expo ’74, the first environmental world’s fair. The Pavilion, Great Northern Railroad Clock Tower and IMAX theatre, which made its debut at the Expo, remain in Riverfront Park as monuments to the event.
The Spokane Convention Center facilities make the best aesthetic and sustainable use of the Spokane River. The Center was built on a rehabilitated “brownfield” (contaminated) site and was only the third convention center in the country to be awarded a LEED Silver certification.
The center is powered by 100 percent sustainable power. The building contains devices for reducing energy consumption and has a heat-reflective roof and two levels of underground parking to reduce the heat island effect. Water conservation measures include indigenous, drought-resistant landscaping and water flow control devices.
The inside of the building is furnished with low-fume emitting carpets, paints and wood composites for healthy indoor air quality. Even housekeeping policies are green. The facility uses Green Seal cleaning products and products with high post-consumer recycled content. Reusable cleaning cloths are used to reduce paper waste. Purchasing and office policies encourage waste reduction and recycling practices as well.
Centerplate, the facility’s food and beverage provider, is also committed to green practices. They use only china, silverware and cloth napkins. Food purchasing is local whenever possible and condiments are served in bulk. All food waste is composted and excess food from events is donated to local shelters.
The convention center encourages its users to host green meetings and events. The center’s staff will consult with meeting planners who wish to produce green events. Cost incentives are available for those events that earn 7 Near Nature, Near Perfect points.
I stayed in the Travelodge directly across from the convention center. I offer my compliments to the very courteous staff and management there. The hotel was immaculately clean and offered a number of green amenities, including liquid soap dispensers in the showers and Forest Stewardship Council paper products.
I was most impressed with the Spokane community, its spirit and its respect for the environment. I highly recommend the Spokane Convention Center for your next event!
Green tip for February:
When you are looking for green travel accommodations, try www.iStayGreen.org. To qualify for a rating from the site, a facility must undergo an audit that includes over 70 eco-initiatives. Environmentally friendly measures that are reviewed include energy efficiency, water conservation, recycling, environmentally safe cleaning, reduction of waste, ongoing maintenance and purchasing habits. The Travelodge at the Spokane Convention Center has a second-tier Green Eco-Leaf rating.
