Everything you need to know about the 12th annual Boston GreenFest & TechExpo

From sweltering heat and flash floods to hurricanes and wildfires, the summer has been marked by increasingly extreme weather conditions that ought to get the alarm bells ringing. Research by climate scientists has shown that we have just 12 years — and possibly only as little as 18 months — to stem serious catastrophe caused by climate change. Thankfully, the Boston GreenFest & TechExpo returns next month to inspire the city to alter its environmental footprint while providing a positive experience that offers a hopeful vision of a sustainable future. Here’s what you need to know about this year’s big event.

What is the Boston GreenFest & TechExpo?

Back for its 12th year, the Boston GreenFest & TechExpo is the biggest environmental festival of its kind in the Northeast, which will take over approximately 300,000 square feet of Boston when it returns in August. Organized by the Foundation for a Green Future, the aim of the fest is to bring together leaders in a variety of industries — including financial, technology, health care, transportation, food, fashion and more — in order to encourage them to network and collaborate on ways to improve sustainability and environmental awareness. The three-day fest also hopes to educate and inspire everyday people to take up healthy and sustainable practices that they can implement in their daily lives.

What events will take place this year?
This year’s programming will be centered around the theme of “Connecting Land and Sea,” and there will be plenty of events that visitors can check out — all for free. The primary Boston GreenFest will take over the Rose Kennedy Greenway to Christopher Columbus Park along Boston’s waterfront. Guests can expect all kinds of fun activities and eco-friendly vendors.

Another big component of the festivities is the GreenTech Expo, which will take place on Aug. 17 at the Grand Ballroom of the Boston Marriott Long Wharf Hotel, which will have robotics and other innovations on display. A Smart City Pavillion is also in the works, a collaboration of various environmentally-focused technologies, that will include everything from photobioreactors and smart grid tech to rain-harvesting sculptures and micro-wind turbines. Other activities include the Green Business Breakfast, which will also be held at the Boston Marriott Long Wharf Hotel. The event will honor attendees such as City Councilor Michelle Wu, New England Aquarium CEO Vikki Spruill, Blue Cross/Blue Shield Sustainability Director Monica Nakielski and others.

Attendees can also expect the return of the fest’s EcoFashion Show, which will take place on Aug. 17 at the Boston GreenFest stage at Christopher Columbus Park, featuring designers such as Queen Adeline of Ghana, Rose Orelup of New York and DEVINTO of Boston. Other programming includes the Boston Green FilmFest, which will take place throughout the three days at Hennessy’s Upstairs, as well as a live multicultural performance stage featuring a slew of global and local artists.