Gulfport Goes Green at Alternative Holiday Market

After holding an event called “Growing Greener” earlier this year, Crea Romanelli (owner of Peaceful Plate) discovered Gulfport’s potential to become a green city. “At first we thought ‘we need to do this every month,’ ” Romanelli remembers. “Then we decided that quarterly might be a better option.”

Between “Growing Greener” back in June and “Green Saturday” now, Romanelli took the time to host mini-seminars on gardening and sustainability. She teaches the basics on how to raise crops and incorporates small changes that can make a big difference.

“One of the most powerful stands you can take is to sit down, be quiet and listen to your heart,” Romanelli said. “We can come together and do this.”

Saturday’s holiday market drew 35 vendors, from artists to tea sellers. Live music echoed throughout Scout’s Hall as locals enjoyed the market. A reading corner kept toddlers busy, and Peaceful Plate’s booth was had freshly squeezed veggie and fruit juices.

Romanelli prepared fresh, raw food dishes. A garden for meditation was open to market-goers, while massage and acupuncture were also offered.

The vision that stays true in Romanelli’s mind is that Gulfport can be a model green city. She envisions a place where residents can visit their neighborhood food garden and pick their “groceries” for the week. She wants to see rain barrels for water harvesting in every home.

An overall consciousness of the environment and the community’s role in well being would be apparent to all people.

With the instant success of Romanelli’s “Green Saturday,” there is no doubt that this is only the beginning. Due to Gulfport’s size, the idea of becoming a green model city seems tangible to this organizer.

“This place is small enough that we can do this,” Romanelli said. “It just takes some inspiration, some planning and some elbow grease – and here we are.”