The only people for us are the mad ones,

Monkey with lemon.

the kind of people who, when they’re given a basket full of lemons, they put the lemons under the covers so that they look like a baby, they steal the original baby, and then they carry around the baby in the basket, asking passersby if they want to buy a lemon.

Or such.

The great ones are the people who see the path of least resistance, take a nap in it, and then go climb a tree. As Einstein said, “You can’t solve a problem with the same thinking that created it.”

That’s why the Hampton Roads’ Trash Bash! is such a wonderful thing. It forces you to look at a problem–trash–and think about it completely differently.

It asks you to see trash as art.

The Trash Bash! is a one-day event where teams of four gather trash from around the community in the morning, then are given two hours in the afternoon to craft an artful masterpiece out of it. The pieces will be judged, prizes will be awarded, and masterpieces will be auctioned off throughout the weekend.

To sign up for the event, click here. The event is free, despite what it might seem to say on that page.

The Trash Bash! is one part of the the first annual Sustainable Living Fair, taking place 2/27 & 2/28 at the Waterside Marketplace. According to the hosts, our friends at Five Points Community Farm Market and Green Alternatives, the fair will feature planet-friendly workshops, eco-minded speakers, environmental films, loads of local green businesses, and more.

Stop throwing away all those art supplies! (Photo | Wouter Hagens)

Here is the full schedule:

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS – SATURDAY
10:00 | Movie – The Story of Stuff
10:30 | Make Your Own Rain Barrel REGISTER HERE
11:30 | Movie – The Meatrix
Noon | Trash Bash Commences FREE – REGISTER NOW
12:15 | DIY Tumbling Composter Workshop
1:00 | Movie – The Mouth Revolution
1:15 | Cooking Demonstration – Sabrosa Foods
2:00 | Solar Heating & Power
2:30 | Trash Bash Judging
3:00 | Canning Basics
3:30 | Recycling in Hampton Roads
4:00 | Square Foot Gardening
4:30 | Movie – The Botany of Desire – Apples
5:00 | Music Feature – Multicultural Steel Orchestra

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS – SUNDAY
11:00 | Canning Basics
11:30 | Movie – The Story of Stuff
Noon | Cooking Demo – Get Fresh Cafe
12:30 | Square Foot Gardening
1:00 | Movie – The Botany of Desire – Potatoes
1:30 | Rain Barrel Workshop REGISTER HERE
2:30 | DIY Tumbling Composter

Since it’s Friday and everyone is happy, here are some totally stoked French-Canadian kids and their elaborate lip-sync extravaganza to “I Gotta Feeling.”

For more on Green Alternatives, click here. And our lovely Farm Market.