Explore ideas for eco-friendly living at McHenry County College’s Green Living Expo on Saturday, November 1 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will take place in the McHenry County College (MCC) Gym and outside in parking lot B, 8900 U.S. Hwy 14 in Crystal Lake.
The Expo brings together more than 85 local businesses and organizations to demonstrate earth-friendly products, services, and unique educational experiences. Visitors can explore a wide variety of exhibits focused on energy conservation, waste reduction, nature education, and sustainable lifestyles. Mindful Roots, a food truck serving vegan and vegetarian food, will also have food available for purchase.
This year’s event will feature a special exhibit from the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, a 2,500-gallon fish tank with native fish, an interactive watershed exhibit, and electric cars old and new—including a 1978 Volkswagen (VW) bus retrofitted to be electric and a 2025 VW Electric Buzz. Attendees are also encouraged to bring their leftover pumpkins and fall decorations for recycling and composting.
“We’re thrilled to bring the Expo back to the community this year,” said Kim Hankins, Manager of Sustainability at MCC. “We hope people will come to experience easy ways to incorporate sustainability into their daily lives, meet some of the area’s changemakers, and have some fun, too.”
New during the Expo this year is the Repair Fair, available from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Experts will be onsite to help repair lamps, small appliances, bicycles, small engines, and provide clothing mending. The service is free to community members.
“We’ve become a ‘throwaway’ society, where it’s often easier to send something to the landfill than to figure out how to fix it,” said Hankins. “The Repair Fair offers a unique, money-saving opportunity to reduce waste by having a variety of items repaired quickly and efficiently. We’re extremely grateful to the small business owners who have volunteered their time to fix these items for free.”
All projects for the Repair Fair must be able to be fixed in under an hour. No electronics, computers, computer screens, or cell phones. Limit three items per person. Walk-ins only; first come, first served.
The Green Living Expo is a zero-waste event, meaning everything will be recycled or composted. This is the first year the event will also be carbon neutral, thanks to a unique partnership with The Land Conservancy of McHenry County.
"MCC used an emissions calculator to determine the number of carbon credits needed to offset the impact of the Expo. We then contracted with The Land Conservancy to purchase urban forest carbon credits which help preserve local woodlands,” said Hankins.
The Green Living Expo is free and open to the public.
The event is sponsored by Dukes Alehouse and Kitchen, Bluestem Ecological Services, Midwest Organics Recycling, Midwest Grow Kits, The Land Conservancy of McHenry County, Environmental Defenders of McHenry County, and the McHenry County Conservation Foundation.
For more information, visit the Green Living Expo webpage, follow @green_living_expo on Instagram, or contact the MCC Sustainability Center at (815) 479-7765 or at sustainability@mchenry.edu.