The ThunderBlogs

The small strip of Broadway, from Main to 12th Street, was blocked on Saturday to celebrate the community’s sense of social responsibility by showcasing sustainable methods and by opening a street market for local small businesses.

The Autumn Shift Festival was organized by the Mount Pleasant Business Improvement Area, to “create an endless summer party”, said Lynn Warwick, executive director.  The occasion was quite fitting to the weather of Saturday, as the change in season was apparent with the sunny afternoon to the rainy evening.

Children strolled around with red and blue balloons sponsored by Hyundai, and others drew happy faces on the sidewalk with chalk.  Someone wrote “Be yourself.  Everyone else is taken,” in big letters beside a butterfly.

The range of kiosks offered information pamphlets on how to create a composting worm system or order a composting bin, find areas in the Mount Pleasant community are outdoor study-friendly zones, and locate where to buy installable solar energy panels, and other environmental ways of life.

A henhouse, with dailyeggs.com engraved into the wood, attracted a lot of the youth to peek into the metal mesh windows at the chickens.  Called a “Van-cooper”, the coops are sold for $600 and can be installed in one’s backyard.

Another popular attraction was a colony of bees that were swarming around in a wooden frame, displayed by the same organization under which Van-cooper is part of, the Backyard Bounty. The representatives talked to on-lookers about beekeeping as a hobby, and how to maintain a colony.

The west side of the street featured mostly community-oriented organizations, while the east side was opened to the merchant market.  Knitted tops, vintage clothing, and long feather earrings were among the items sold by the local store vendors and artists.

A live performance by a rock band called Matinee, courtesy of Shore 104 FM had a few 20 year olds slamming their heads in the air and kicking their legs up.  An old bearded man, with a rusty-orange shirt and stressed jeans exclaimed, “yee haw!”

The event represented the way of life of Mount Pleasant locals, who are interested in responsible living, said Warwick.   Volunteers coordinated the festival, who were a handful of students and seniors.