Believe it or not, we are already planning for RiverFest 2020! Please email fyler@neponset.org if you wish to get involved.

Although July 20 proved to be one of the hottest days of the summer, it didn’t stop staff and exhibitors from setting up alongside the Neponset River for a day of fun. While the heat seemed to keep many indoors, the 500+ who attended had a chance to cool off under various misting trees; in the spray park; on a giant water slide, on kayaks, SUPS, and canoes; and in the shade. See RiverFest 2019 photos.

Folks also had a chance to visit with over 40 exhibitors, including the New England Aquarium, Museum of Science and Franklin Park Zoo;  enjoy food from Naco Taco, Bon Me, Mr. Kool, and DL’s fresh lemonade; and listen to musical performances by award-winning Indie folk-soul vocalist, Morgan Minsk; American Idol Season 13 finalist, Sam Woolf; local talent, Richie Parsons; and the very engaging, Boston ILL Harmonic.

See RiverFest 2019 photos!

We owe many people a huge thank you for their participation in RiverFest 2019!!!

Thanks to the WONDERFUL volunteers who gave their time to help make this free community event a success: Stephanie Aguilar, Heather Audet, Arlen Baden, David Biggers, Stephen Brayton, Shiva Garapati, Jim Green, Adam Guy, Peter Kane, Taber Keally, Paul Lauenstein, Ziyan Li, Derek Mason, Kyle McBurney, Maddy McGregor, Rory McGregor, Dave Pippen, Will Reason, Virginia Ryan, Jessica Trickett, Laura Vaites (for creating beautiful raffle baskets), and Eric Wirth.

Thank you to the following AWESOME exhibitors for coming out in unseasonably warm weather (and maintaining positivity throughout the day):  Ameriprise, Blue Bikes, Bon Me, Boston Climate Action Network, Boston Public Health Commission, Boston Solar, Boston Water & Sewer, Captain Bob, City of Boston Credit Union, City Compost, Delphi School of Milton, Direct Energy, DL’s Fresh Squeezed Lemonade, East Boston Savings Bank, East West Mortgage, Greater Boston Trout Unlimited, Green Energy Consumers Alliance, Homeworks Energy, Liveable Streets, MA Youth Soccer, Mass Fisheries, Mattapan Food & Fitness Coalition, Mr. Kool, Museum of Science, MWRA, Naco Taco, Neponset Greenway Council, New England Aquarium, NEEECO, PaddleBoston, the Popcorn Colonel, PowerCrunch, Project Bread, Tremont Credit Union, UMass Boston, Voter Choice Massachusetts, X-Cel Education, and Zoo New England.

A special thank you goes to Joe Indelicato and Chris Spillane from the Department of Conservation and Recreation for going above and beyond to help make RiverFest the best it could be. These guys are truly special!

And finally, thank you to our generous sponsors and partners who supported this wonderful day:  presenting sponsoring ENE Systems, PaddleBoston, BYN Mellon, Bass Pro Shops, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston Harbor Distillery, City Compost, City of Boston Credit Union, Clay Subaru, Dorchester Reporter, East Boston Savings Bank, East West Mortgage, JP Licks, Nature’s Path Organic, New England Carpenter’s Union, TreeTop Adventures, Tremont Credit Union, VJ Properties, Venezia, Wegmans.

Last but not least…

An unsung hero of RiverFest was City Compost. People who attended the event may have noticed that there were special trash barrels around the park that were being managed by a few folks in brown tee shirts. Not only did City Compost manage the trash, they sorted it, and disposed of it properly. Our event “report card” shows:

• 168.6 lbs went back to the soil instead of the landfill!! We also had less than two full bags of trash after the entire event. You could tell the ground folks were shocked and a “this is it” look on their faces.
• We also had 4 full bags of imixed recycling and a full bag of thin film plastics for recycling. A small jug of oil, a pair of cloth gloves, a handful of twine, a rag, and half a roll of paper towels that will be repurposed.
• A 9V battery (hazardous waste) that we will be able to recycle properly.
• Last but not least, a small toy and decorated pencil that was able to be given to one of the local families at the park.

City Compost offers the opportunity to turn food scraps, including meat, fish, and dairy into fresh nutrient-rich soil through a curbside compost service. There are many benefits to composting in general and unique benefits to choosing City Compost, so I wanted to share a few with you.

• Composting reduces greenhouse gas emissions and protects groundwater verus landfill, builds the soil adding nutrients and organic material while also increases water retention.
• 100% of organic material we service goes to the soil with the goal to grow more fresh food.
• 100% of organic material we service that you can receive back is processed independently.
• With the option to receive compost back, you could save $100s on growing fresh food right at home in top quality soil in windows, on balconies, fire escapes, porches and yards.

Service is as easy as putting out recycling, simply fill the personal container with compostables throughout the week and empty this into your City Compost collection bucket with it’s easy peel, rodent resistant lid, that is serviced right by the road or other designated location and replaced with a clean one. All food types are accepted plus napkins, paper towels, and other compostable items. 6 months later, through the magic of nature, it is turned into soil! This can be received back for use in home gardens, or it will go towards local, sustainable farms. For more information, contact Adam at 978-407-0234 or at service@citycompost.com