Reskilling & Sharing Expo – Free!
Common Ground Organic Garden Supply & Education Center
Sunday August 12 11am – 12:30pm
559 College Avenue, Palo Alto

Neighbors Sharing Food, Crafts, Skills, and Goods

Hop on your bikes with your friends and family for a multiple skill and goods sharing event. Join us to share your garden and kitchen bounty, your extra arts and crafts supplies, beloved (or neglected) books, old clothing, and children's toys. Bring what you have to share; take home something you don't. You'll also learn to make homemade musical instruments and get a (or learn to do your own) bike tune-up.

We'll have demos on kitchen skills and craft techniques on the half-hour, too. Bring your bikes, bike supplies, homegrown fruit, vegetables, eggs, herbs, honey, flowers, paints, markers, books, shirts, skirts, pants, fabric, yarn, paper, sheet music, patterns, books, garden/craft tools, toys, kits and more. Be sure to bring a bag to take home the bounty!

Local Garden Share – Bring extra bounty from the garden (produce, fruit, herbs, eggs, honey, flowers, plants in pots), things made in the kitchen from the things from the garden, seeds, seedlings, tools, utensils, books, magazines. Anything garden and food-related is welcome.

Craft Share – Bring your arts and crafts supplies and tools, and even artistic creations to share. We'll have demos on simple crafts you can make, techniques you can learn, a chance to show off your skills, and even a crochet lesson.

Bicycle workshop – Let's work together to do minor maintenance and make minor adjustments to improve your bike for efficiency, safety and comfort, with Trevor and Katie. They'll help you with: Tire pressure, Oiling squeaky chains, Seat ergonomics, Adjusting bar position for good wristernomics, Adjusting gears, brakes and headsets. They can also coach you through fixing a flat tire!

Scrapophony - Fun with Found Sounds ! Learn to make and play some simple 'musical instruments' from things found around the house. Discover the joys found sound and explore the wonders of sound via everyday objects. Humans have been experimenting with ways to make music with found objects (sticks, bones, rocks-) for about as long as there have been humans. Join us in rekindling that sense of auditory exploration which is the wellspring of musical creativity.

Book share – Turn in your old beloved books in readable condition (no pages missing please) and take home a new good read. Any extras will be donated to the library.

Clothes share – Bring something that no longer fits but still looks good (free of stains and tears) and find something that you need to complete your wardrobe. Any remaining clothes will be donated to Goodwill for recycling.

Toy share – Kids bored of the same old toys? Trade them in for something new-to-them, and get the next generation involved in sharing and keeping things out of the landfill. Extras will be donated to a local children's shelter.

Transition Tales - Bring your Transition Tale and record it on video with Mythologist Willi Paul at the Reskilling & Sharing Expo. What are your hopes and concerns for the future? Share your journey and what the Transition Movement means to you and your family. These short video pieces will be uploaded and available for discussion right after the Expo.

Throughout the Bay Area, neighbors are coming together for sharing locally grown, fresh produce, as well as arts and crafts supplies, and other household items. Our Palo Alto sharing event is supported by a coalition of community ecological organizations and neighborhood groups including: Acterra, Barron Park Green Team, Barron Park Garden Network, Barron Park Assn, Common Ground, City of Palo Alto Community Gardens, Deborah's Palm, Midtown Green Team, Opalz, Slow Food South Bay, Transition Palo Alto and Transition Silicon Valley.

The Common Ground store is open during the event, so plan to stop in to get any supplies you need to continue your garden bounty or more. Also, the event is located only 3 blocks from the California Ave Farmers' Market, which is open from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. You will have time to shop or have lunch at the market after the event.

Please take home any excess of what you bring, if you can. Other items such as toys, books, craft supplies and clothes may be donated to local charities and shelters. More information will be posted at Share