Sustainable Rural Development Festival

Hi everyone,
I am quickly organizing this Festival in Red Lodge, MT for July 15th. Noon to 7pm. Hopefully a food truck or two and I’m sure I can get a few people to come and play music.
Anyway, I’d love to have some permies input. About the festival would be amazing. But to show up and be a vendor/educator would be pretty awesome too.
We really don’t have a ton of permies people over here that I know of. I know of no one to come and talk about rocket mass heaters for example.
The City thinks changing windows and lightbulbs is getting the job done. Talk of moving to zero waste is met with confusion.
So!!! I thought I’d start this thing and see what comes of it. We have nothing like it over here. Locals farmers market yes - doesn’t equal sustainability. Rural development yes - also doesn’t equal giving a crap about the planet.

Here’s all the info. Please let me know what you think. I know I might be opening the flood gates here but…I’m here! I need outside voices and people willing to come and help as well. Thanks!!!

Sustainable Rural Development Festival
July 15, 2026, 12-7pm
Red Lodge, MT
Sustaining Ourselves alongside the Natural World


A first attempt at gathering various people from the region who are committed by lifestyle, values, and work to long term sustainability and to a future here supported by regenerative initiatives that don’t only support the people here but also the land, wildlife, and rivers.

Short term goals - celebrate and encourage regenerative human activities and promote environmental responsibility in the region. To gather in community, lift each other up, and inspire others.

Long term goals - an increasingly rich network of projects of ecological and human value in the region.

Description:
—This would be the first (hopefully annual) festival in this area. Located at the Roosevelt Center, mostly outside on the lawn.
—An effort to think creatively about our shared future in this region; how we can sustain our rich lives here, creatively thinking about the word sustainability and understanding it’s deeper meaning for our own sustainability, with the knowledge that we are a part of nature, and therefore our actions impact our ability to live here longterm.
—To create a network of people, projects, entrepreneurs, products, and more which have in common the quality of having environmental values and respect for the natural world.

With a clear intention for each vendor having an education component, the hope is to market our own businesses, celebrate our achievements, and inspire others to live more in harmony with the natural world of which we are a part of.

I would like to have a food truck or two there as well if possible. We could also potentially incorporate speakers and set times for them. Music would also be nice, whether it’s a small band or even just someone roaming with a guitar.

Vendors who are selling their products or marketing their businesses will pay a $15 booth fee after their application is approved.
Community members with tables who are not marketing their businesses or selling products will not pay a table fee.
There will not be an entry fee.
Vendors will be asked to do their very best to avoid using and distributing single use plastics and throw away items unless they are sustainably manufactured and compostable.

Just came across this when searching "subtle energies in agriculture".  A lot of information here on regenerative agriculture and its history.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11625-022-01281-1

Thanks! Yeh I’m hoping someone else will deal with that since I’ll be running things. Most people here have never even heard of rocket mass heaters and don’t really understand what regenerative ag is.