Sneak peek: Green Living Show

Taking place April 24 to 26 at Toronto’s Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place, the third annual Green Living Show is one of Canada’s biggest green consumer shows with over 20,000 visitors last year and 450 exhibitors signed on for this year’s show.

The event features the latest in home improvement and design, eco-friendly food and beverages, hybrid and electrical cars and more.

Here’s what we’ll be making a beeline for at the show.

Farm fresh fare
Produce and humanely raised meat from local farmers whipped into culinary delights by the likes of top chefs Jamie Kennedy (Hank’s, Gilead Café, Jamie Kennedy At The Gardiner, Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar etc), David Chrystian (Chez Victor) and David Garcelon (Fairmont Royal York, Toronto). With proceeds benefiting Evergreen and SlowFood? We’ll be there!

The Grapes & Hops Tasting Pavilion
This eco-chic space creates the perfect ambience in which to take a break and sample some of Ontario’s best eco—friendly wines and beers (many of which are organic). Participating wineries include SouthBrook, Malivoire, Tawse, Inniskillin and Le Clos Jordanne.

The Food and Beverage Market
After sampling, be sure to load up on some goodies to go. Load up on local and organic groceries and prepared foods, as well as wine, spirits and beer, so you can host your own earth-friendly dinner that same night!

Ride & Drive and The Bike Track
In the market for a new set of wheels (four or two)? We’re itching to test drive a hybrid, battery or fuel cell electric car in the show’s no-sales-pressure environment. Cyclists can also get in on the test-drive action by taking a spin on some of the hottest new bicycles on the market.

Green Design Studio’s booth
Green Design Studio is one of Toronto’s hottest and most comprehensive green retailers. With eco-friendly goods ranging from building materials to furniture, to linens and accessories, and design services ranging from construction to custom furniture, it’s got everything to green decorista could want under one roof.

Since we haven’t had a chance to hit their studio, we plan to hang out at their booth, taking digicam shots as well as copious notes for a planned reno project.

Highlights of Green Design Studio’s product offerings include:

Artecnica’s new tranSglass Collection, modern tabletop accessories crafted from recycled bottles

Amenity Home Collection’s superbly soft, organic 300-thread count percale cotton bed linens. The bold, graphic prints are done in non-toxic, water-based dye. (They’ve got a super-cute nursery collection, too!)

Yolo Colorhouse, a line of no-VOC, 100% acrylic interior paints in designer colours. We love their special poster-size sample cards.

EcoTimber flooring, which feature formaldehyde-free, low-VOC adhesives in their bamboo planks.