Planet St. Patrick’s Day Picks

Sustainable Princeton and Sustainable Lawrence are both putting a little more green in St. Patrick’s Day this year.

A green mapping workshop will be hosted by Sustainable Princeton at the Princeton Public Library from 1-3 p.m. in the meeting room on the second floor. Stop by to help create an online interactive map of all of Princeton’s green places, including bike and walking paths. There will be green refreshments on hand in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.

Sustainable Lawrence will host the fifth annual Home and Energy Expo from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Lawrence High on Princeton Pike.  This year promises to be better than ever with the addition of electric cars and bikes and more than 40 vendors and non-profit organizations in attendance.

The family-friendly event features craft workshops for children and farm-fresh food. A build an electric bike workshop will take place at 1 p.m., followed by a drawing for an e-bike kit-valued at more than $1,000. Donate your old bike to the Trenton Bike Exchange by bringing it to the parking lot during the expo.

Princeton’s own Dorothy Mullen of the Suppers Program will give a talk on nutritious and fun foods, and the event will include a mini farmers’ market.

Expo visitors can learn energy saving tips from energy auditors, construction companies and solar energy companies and appliance companies; ask residents who have done renovations, audits or installed new efficient appliances for advice on the process; view the latest technological advances for cars; test chemical-free cleaning and beauty supplies; and learn about recycling options for appliances and cell phones.

While you are at it, don’t miss Princeton Future’s meeting on the future of Princeton’s public buildings from 9 a.m.-noon in the community room at the Princeton Public Library. What could the use of the Borough and Township’s buildings look like in the consolidated Princeton and what creative things could be done with them? Should any buildings be sold? Provide your input at the meeting.

Unwind at the Alchemist & Barrister, where the bagpipes will sound, the Guinness will flow, Irish fare will be on the menu and a lucky gentleman will be named the winner of the Alchemist & Barrister’s annual Longbeard Contest at the restaurant’s legendary St. Patrick’s Day Party. The event starts at noon, with a lunch of  Irish favorites and carries on through dinner and into a night of Celtic celebrations.  The fun begins with bagpipers kicking off an evening that includes high-stepping traditional dancers and Irish music, as well as Irish food, of course, including traditional corned beef sliced from a station on the patio.

The festivities benefit the charity Derek’s Dreams this year.  Derek’s Dreams has two goals, to raise awareness of the rare and deadly disease from which 14-year-old Princeton resident Derek DiGregorio suffers and to provide financial support for Derek, who has Ataxia Telangiectasia. The disease is a rare, neurodegenerative disease that affects many parts of the body and causes severe disability. For more information about the charity visit dereksdreams.com.