by Amy Edelman

The Chestnut Hill Home and Garden Festival on Sunday, May 4, will once again be home to Eco Alley, the "Green Branch" of the annual street fair along Germantown Avenue.

Now in its fourth year, Eco Alley will have a NEW location at the exciting corner of Southampton Avenue, next to the beautifully renovated Chestnut Hill Hotel. Green In Chestnut Hill (aka GRinCH) is organizing the activities and Eco-friendly vendors for Eco Alley.

The local band Urban Drawl, led by Jason Fifield, will lay down its brand of knee slapping Newgrass music for three sets, at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. FREE Kiddy yoga for 5 to 8-year-olds will take place on Eco Alley at 12:30 p.m.

Eco-friendly vendors such as Happy Cat Farms, The Stock Group, and Philadelphia Salvage (the wildly popular Mt. Airy shop specializing in architectural salvage) will sell and display their wares. And back by popular demand: a Book/DVD/CD Free-Cycle!

The Free-Cycle is like a yard sale but everything is free! The concept is that of giving away what you can't use or no longer need or want. One person's would-be trash is another person's treasure. It's the "reuse" part of "reduce, reuse, recycle" taken to the next level. Swing by Eco Alley and grab some FREE beach reading.

The books, CDs and DVDs for the Free-Cycle are donated by all of you. GRinCH is asking everyone to bring their unwanted books, CDs and DVDs to the Chestnut Hill Valley Green Bank, at 23 W. Highland Ave., on Thursday or Friday, May 1 or 2, between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., or Saturday, May 3, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. We will also be collecting gently used shoes at Valley Green Bank for our Shoebox Recycling fundraiser. Bring gently used shoes for drop off and help GRinCH raise funds for our Green Warrior student grant program.

Amy Edelman is president of Green in Chestnut Hill, chefamybeth@hotmail.com.