The Earth Festival has been organized consecutively since 2001, during the first 15 days of July, in the mountain community of Vlasti (1.240 m altitude), at the heart of Western Macedonia region, Greece. The Earth Festival is organised by Ecotopia in collaboration with Vlasti Community. It lasts 4-5 days and is visited by more than 15.000 visitors. This year, 2012, Earth Festival will take place at 12 - 15 July. The Festival includes concerts, traditional «shadow» theatre, street theatre, movie shows, special events for children, painting and photography exhibitions. Participants can be occupied in various activities like sports (mountaineering, mountain biking, arching, orienteering), lectures, discussions, they can be informed about the actions of the main Greek environmental NGOs, walk through the open bazaar of organic producers and taste healthy foods in the restaurant of ecological and traditional products that functions within the Festival area.

While the mountain area of the village is of exceptional scenic beauty, the lowland area around the city of Ptolemaida is one of the most environmentally degraded areas of Greece due to intense pollution by the thermoelectric power plants of the Public Company for Electricity. About 70% of the total electric power of the country is produced here. The burning of coal, that is used for the production of electricity,is responsible for the most part of greenhouse gasses produced in Greece.

The initial choice of Vlasti as the permanent place for the organization of the Earth Festival - with a central issue being rural development - aimed at the testing of our ideas for the revival of mountain communities, since only 70 overwintering inhabitants remain today in this particular village that flourished at the beginning of the 20ieth century when it numbered over 6500 inhabitants. We thought that the rich history of the community and the breath-taking natural beauty of its surrounding area create the appropriate basis for development of "soft" tourist activities, which will enhance the local economy without disturbing the environment. Vlasti has further advantages because of its geographical position at the heart of W. Macedonia and its basic tourist infrastructure with a hotel and a hostel that can be used as a base for daily excursions and tours to the historical, cultural and natural sightseeing of the wider area. However, if the aim is to promote Vlasti as a worthwhile "green" destination, an integrated planning is needed for the development of ecotourism. 

The almost complete lack of productive activities and the declining course of Vlasti's remaining population can be reversed only with the advancement of ecotourism, which will create new jobs and hold young people to their birthplace. During the year of the Festival we managed through a well-organized effort to make Vlasti known to the whole country and attract the largest ever number of visitors to the village. However, we are just in the beginning. After four successful festival organizations, Earth Festival has succeeded in its' basic aim: to become a catalyst for sustainable development and revival of the mountain communities.

We chose the organisation of ecological festivals as a particularly powerful tool for the dissemination of ecological ideas to the wider public - especially to young people. Through these we want to promote a different - alternative way of life. We want to give the example of an "ecological city" with its marketplace, with areas of culture, art, entertainment, and food, where the citizen experiences something different: streets for pedestrians and not for cars, open spaces where children can play freely, an economy that develops in harmony with the environment, an event that doesn't leave behind piles of garbage.

In any way, the organisation of ecological festivals aims in transmitting messages for the values of environment and thoughts about the environmental problems, in forming a different, more ecological, type of consciousness and inspiring an alternative way of life in harmony with the environment through a festive atmosphere.