What’s On

Events & Workshops

Food Zone

High Street, outside Lucca

What you choose to eat, where it comes from and how it is produced can all have a massive impact on both carbon emissions and the environment. The cafes at the Earth Festival and the stalls in the Food Zone are all showcasing amazing local, seasonal food produced with kindness to the planet.‌

Lauriston Farm

Fresh vegetables, meat, flowers and wool all grown at this Essex biodynamic farm

South Street Café

Linked to the Wholefood store, preparing the Essex Salad Bowl from local grown vegetables; Suffolk Cheese Toasties.

Café Rio

On the corner with their Quiche and Salad Special – all locally grown.

Juicy Bar

Fresh fruit and vegetable juices, hot wraps, vegan burgers, mezze boxes.

Peach and Pippin

Jams and chutneys etc from this organic orchard in Lawford just 2 miles away.

Bolivian Pastries

Authentic Bolivian food including empanadas, lentils salteñas and pucacapas.

The Red Lion

Serving its special Earth Festival Pizza created for the day using local grown vegetables.

Sir Isaac’s Artisan Coffee

Coffee stand also selling coffee beans and other products.

Sunnymead Farm

Pasture-fed buffalo, lambs and pigs that are bred on the farm in Wivenhoe.

Norwegian Bakers

Authentic Norwegian sweet buns, cakes and savoury swirls with yeast and purely plant-based ingredients.

Ragmarsh Farm

Homemade beef-burgers, sausages and chips all sourced from the family farm in Bradfield.

Chickpea Catering

South Indian buffet vegan food with curries prepared with freshly ground spices.

Madras Café

South Asian style vegetarian and vegan snacks using mainly organic ingredients.

Bennison Farm

Information stall for an organic vegetable box scheme in Thorrington that is available for local pick up in Lawford.

Energy Zone

High Street – outside the Stour Store

Your need for electricity, gas, heating, cooking etc is where you can make the biggest savings both on your energy bills and your carbon emissions. Displays and stalls cover Solar PV’s, Heat Pumps, Batteries, Hot Water, Wood-burners, Insulation and other building products as well as examples of practical experiences from those who have done it. Come and see us on the High Street.

Essex County Council Energy Team 

The team will be on hand to talk about the work they are doing at County scale to support households to reduce their carbon footprints. They will also have information about the proposed solar energy scheme for Manningtree, Mistley and Lawford that is being planned with PACE.

Collier & Catchpole 

Local builders merchant supplying insulation, membranes and a wide range of building products.

Bentley Fire Shop 

Supply, install and service a wide range of efficient wood-burning stoves and advice on wood fuels.

Martlesham Environment Group 

Martlesham Environment Group will be on hand with 3 individuals who have retrofitted their houses with solar, heat pumps and electric car chargers to give first hand advice on the process.

Galloper Wind Farm

The farm produce electricity off the coast of Suffolk and will be at the festival to display their technology and inform visitors of the scale of their green and renewable ambitions in the region

Community Energy Colchester Cooperative

The CECC will be there to share information about their project that supports schools and households to reduce their carbon footprints in Colchester and the surrounding areas.

Biodiversity Zone

Walled Garden of 54 South Street

Biodiversity is the rich variety of plant and animal life around us. All are inter-dependent, and all are in trouble. Biodiversity loss is a global crisis. This Zone is designed to inform and inspire us about nature and how to protect it. There will be a wide variety of children’s activities, including at stalls marked *.

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Suffolk Coast and Heaths Designated landscapes

Raising awareness about wildlife decline, and how to help wildlife at home. *

RSPB

Inspiring visitors to ‘Give Nature a Home’. Information on the RSPB, volunteering and membership.

RSPB Flatford Wildlife Garden

How to support nature within your garden or balcony. *

Beth Chatto Education Trust

Illustrating plants with adaptions for challenging conditions, including some wildlife friendly plants. Promoting peat-free gardening and reduced plastic use. (Plants not for sale)

Essex Wildlife Trust

Promoting the conservation and educational work of the Trust, with advice on wildlife gardening, volunteering and membership and information on our children’s Wildlife Watch club. *

Colchester Natural History Society

An inspiring display about local wildlife and its future. Discover the natural world, featuring Stag Beetles and other animals you might find in your garden.

The Mothketeers

Local enthusiasts showing the amazing unseen world of moths found in their gardens. View them up close – they will all be released at the end of the day.

WeCare Voluntary Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation

Animal rescue service for the local area, showing what we do. Aiming to release rehabilitated animals back to the wild. *

Cedar & Sky

Selling forest school kits for kids and other woodland arts and crafts. Running activities based on the kits.*

Home Composting

Showing you all about home composting.

The Big Green Internet project

An environmental, agricultural and social enterprise – delivering nature recovery and social benefits through tree-planting projects.

Wildlife Wanderings

Guided Nature Walks – see Water Zone for details.

Lifestyle Zone

High Street outside Lucca

The Lifestyle stalls in the High Street give a wider perspective across many areas of sustainability.

Klimabonus

Klimabonus brings us experience from Marburg in Germany, through the Manningtree Frankenberg Partnership, where their voucher system encourages reducing carbon footprints and supporting the local economy.

Colchester Green Christian Group

The Colchester Green Christian Group gives a Christian perspective on environmental issues with various eco items and children’s activities.

Unsealed

This eco-friendly refill store is based in Clacton and sells a wide range of food, household and personal care products, and supports various local crafts.

The Plastic Solution

Remove single use plastic containers from your commercial cleaning supply chain by distributing UK, Ecolabel cleaning products which give significant cost savings. Based in East Bergholt.

George’s Gorgeous Gardens

Designs gardens, grows and sells beautiful house and garden plants at Earsham Hall. Selling easy-to-care-for, perfect-present, plastic and peat free plants in moss balls.

Stef’s Tropic Skincare

Naturally derived, sustainable, vegan & cruelty free products.

Travel Zone

Market Place

Travel accounts for 28% of all UK carbon emissions and 91%, of that is road travel! Find out how you can be an active traveller and reduce your impact on the environment through your travel choices.

Eezy Bikes

An E-bike rental company allowing you to rent an E-bike with EEZ! Try one for FREE!

E-Cargo Bike PACE

PACE Manningtree E-cargo bike share scheme – you or your business can get involved. Great for taking children to school, shopping trips or just for fun, you can try it out for FREE!

JT Cycle Repairs

Come and have A FREE bike maintenance check!

Local Electric Cars and Bikes

Speak to local EV owners about their experience with electric cars and bikes and reasons to make the switch! Try out an E-bike for yourself.

Essex and South Suffolk Community Rail Partnership

Explore the green benefits of travelling throughout Essex and South Suffolk by train.

Manningtree Walkers

Come and chat about local walks around Manningtree, Mistley and Lawford.

Manningtree Community Bus

FREE shuttle to and from Manningtree train station

Essex Pedal Power

Nik Hughes can tell you about a scheme that provides free bikes to residents in the county’s most disadvantaged communities. Nik is an authority on all things bike.

Information Gazebo

Ideas, info and fun facts! *

Map your journey

Map of where festival-goers have come from. Make your mark on the map!

Children’s Area

Space Hoppers, bubbles, paper boat making, decorating our festival bike!

Kind Heart Coffee

Van is in the Travel Zone for drinks and treats

Acoustic Music

A programme of acoustic music to accompany the festival goers in the Travel Zone during the afternoon.

Household Zone

High Street and Library

Every time you spend money, you’re casting a vote for the kind of world you want. So, what kind of world do you want? If you want a world that is more caring towards the planet, then at the Manningtree library. You’ll enjoy a great mix of local, small business owners selling eco-products, and the opportunity to revitalise your old clothes – so bring along some worn or tired clothes and our seamstresses will work their magic!

Stallholders:

Starfish Eco

Plastic free, cruelty free, sustainably produced, zero waste household products.

Pumpkin and Pickle

Range of eco-friendly baby wear, sanitary and cleaning products and clothing.

Julia Pecuilaa

Custom made clothes made from older clothes, for example, shirts made from halves of two different shirts.

By Katy Mac

Eco-designed clothing using vintage and pre-loved household fabrics.

Consciously Clothed

Pre-loved and vintage clothes.

Unsealed Eco Refill

Dried food, household and personal care liquids, oils and vinegars on a refill basis.

Really Eco Baby

Beautiful, ethical and eco baby and family gifts.

Vale Woodcraft

Sustainably handmade homewares crafted from reclaimed wood.

The Guilt Free Soapery

Truly plastic free and ‘no nasty’ skincare and cosmetics.

Kate & Julia

Seamstresses Kate Mason and Julia Markovic can transform your old clothes into unique items, just for you! So bring some tired clothes that you love.

Water Zone

Stour Sailing Club compound

The picturesque River Stour is more than just a beauty spot. Important for wildlife and a hotspot for recreational activities, the water zone highlights the biodiversity of our local estuary, as well as raising awareness of the impacts of human activity. Book sessions for Seaside Explorers and Guided Walks. This whole zone will be very appealing for all ages.

Seaside Explorers*

Join in with an interactive beach school session. Booking is necessary – come and use the sign-up sheet in the zone.

Water Quality of the Stour by PACE

Riverfly project – display showing the sampling of the invertebrates of the River Stour which indicate any pollution when combined with water chemistry data.

Dr Dan Mills, University of Suffolk

Dan is an experienced ecologist who specialises in freshwater invertebrates. Dan will showcase his tank of species and demonstrate how they have adapted to our local environment.

Natural England

Do you know what grows on our estuaries? Come and find out more about the seagrass meadows and restoration projects in North Essex.

British Divers Marine Life Rescue

What do you do if you spot a stranded seal? Not sure? Come and find out! The display will include a dummy seal. There will also be lots of information about the other mammals that live along our local coastline.

Environment Agency

Two expert ecologists will be able to talk to you about the local wildlife, especially eels and fish. There will be information about our salt marshes habitat 

Manningtree Mermaids Against Sewage, SWiM.

Come along to chat about open water swimming, and the campaign for bathing water status in Manningtree.

Wildlife Wanderings

Short nature walks led by wildlife experts, who will help you to discover the fascinating natural world of plants and minibeasts on the edge of town. Setting off from the water zone at 1300, 1400, 1500, 1600. Booking advised; sign up in the zone. 

Wellbeing Zone

Masonic Hall, South Street

The Wellbeing Zone will be in the Masonic Hall on South Street opposite The Red Lion -an important part of the Earth Festival because of the anxiety caused when tackling environmental issues like climate change. Looking after physical and mental health are crucial for you, your family and local community as you make changes to your lifestyle which have a positive impact on the environment.

12:00 – 1.00pm – Open for festival visitors to browse the information stalls at the entrance of the hall and talk to any of the practitioners regarding the workshops or therapies offered throughout the day.

1.00 to 1.30pm Session 1       Five steps to gut health & sauerkraut making demonstration — Catherine Arnold

A talk about 5 steps that you can apply to enhance gut health.

1.45 to 2.15pm Session 2       Family Earth Salutation – Kate Atkinson

Family yoga: A yoga and movement-based prayer to the earth and the elements suitable for all levels, ages and ability.

2.30 to 3.00pm Session 3       5 Element Chi Kung – Dave Allen

Using static and moving exercises / meditations to open, relax and massage the muscles, joints and internal organs to maximise energy flow through the meridians of the body.

3.15 to 3.45pm Session 4       Mindful Lifestyle Reflection – What nourishes and what depletes us? – Jocasta Webb – Headroom. A mindful lifestyle workshop, guiding participants to reflect on how different choices that we make truly affect our wellbeing. The conditions that we regularly expose ourselves to have a huge impact on our wellbeing. Participants will be encouraged to reconsider their idea of happiness in a way that is more wholesome for their own wellbeing, as well as the wellbeing of our community, and the planet as a whole.

4.00 to 4.30pm Session 5       Chakra Dancing with Angela -Angela Ward

A free-form, low impact dance connecting to the 7 major chakras. Suitable for all abilities no dance experience required.

4.45 to 5.15pm Session 6       Breathwork – Ali Cogavin

A somatic practice used to reconnect with the body. In the session you will be guided through 3 different uses of breath to help reduce anxiety, stress and tension followed by a meditation.

In addition  – Reflexology Hub with: Wandering soul therapies &Light & Sole therapies – Kitty Bridges and Claire Baxter.

20 minute stress busting reflexology taster sessions available for booking and to drop in.

13.00pm – 16.30pm 20 minutes reflexology taster sessions in the back room. – (6 sessions)

Speaker’s Corner

Outside The Mogul on the High Street

12.15pm Michelle Taylor, Mayor of Manningtree. Welcome. What our community can do to help reduce carbon emissions and support our local environment

1.00pm Cllr Peter Schweir, Essex County Council Climate Czar. Climate action and support for our Essex environment by Essex County Council

1.30pm Rich Yates, Director of Engagement Essex Wildlife Trust and Chair of the Local Nature partnership. Community-led action in Essex

1.45pm Chris Bowden, PACE Manningtree. Local Food Networks – Empty Shelves or Abundance.

2.20pm Nik Hughes, Essex County Council, Essex Pedal Power. Encouraging local people to cycle more.

3.00pm Maik Schöniger, Klimabonus. Using events and local currencies to reduce carbon footprint and strengthen economies. Experiences from Marburg Germany. 

3.30pm Prof. Graham Underwood, Prof of Marine & Freshwater Biology, Uni. of Essex. Healthy coastal habitats can help us to mitigate & adapt to climate change

4.00pm Bonny Williams, Community Climate Action. Inspiring us to take action

4.30pm Tendring District Council Reducing the Carbon Footprint of our Council 

5.30pm Kellie Rogers – Science and power of community and group intent

5.40pm John Hall, PACE Manningtree. Every one of us can make a difference. Thanks to all involved

Schools & Education

Outside Townsend’s 

  • Each of the local Schools has been asked to present their displays – the School children will bring their family’s “PLEDGE” of what they can do to reduce their carbon footprint to help tackle climate change. Prizes for the best display!
  • Children’s activities and Story Telling 
  • Displays by PACE Manningtree showing a range of projects which are underway in the local area such as: PACE Poster – 40 ways to cut your carbon footprint; Community Energy Scheme; Plastic Free Manningtree Mistley and Lawford; Wild Gardens; Community Allotment; Local Tree Planting; Water Quality Sampling on the River Stour etc.

High Street Shops

Most of Manningtree’s shops will be open and focussing on the environment – specially watch out for:

Navistitch

Workshops with Vic to sew your own Pin Badge from reclaimed materials.

Studio 42

Demonstrations with Pru Green making pottery

The Tree

The Ocean Clean Up display

North House Gallery

Art Exhibition of “The Garden”

Planet Earth: From the Big Bang to Conservation

A 30 minute interactive exploration presented by Astrophysicist Ian Hall and Yr 7 TAS Academy Student Elsie Dennis from The Average Scientist. 1pm & 3pm. Book through Eventbrite, or drop-in.

Full details can be found here

Music

Bob’s Patio – 42a High Street

We are excited to be hosting the Main Stage on the High Street, at the marketplace and at the bottom of South Street. There is a great mix of music and DJs to entertain. We have local musicians who have composed songs around our key themes as well as an uplifting choral ensemble, DJs and acoustic sets.

Bob’s Patio

12.15 The Two Jonnies (Asa/Colin)

1.00 Fraser Morgan (solo)

2.00 Tendring Voices Choir:

3.15 EllY Tree

4.00 The Pancakes

5.00 Rob Prince

Marketplace Stage (acoustic)

12.00 Lauryn Dobinson

1.00 Asa Brotherton solo (2nd Set)

2.00 Elly Tree (1st set)

3.00 Chrissy/Hurdy Gurdy

4.00 Will Foley

South Street by Winyl

D.J’s playing chilled-out tunes