The WorldFest 2009 Earth Day Festival will be held on Saturday, May 16th, 2009, from 10:30am to 7:00pm, at the beautiful outdoor setting of Woodley Park in Encino, CA. We will welcome our attendees to a magnificent day filled with entertainment, education and enlightenment. The combination of great music, empowering speakers, environmental, humanitarian and animal welfare non-profits, kid's activities and a delicious food court make for an earth-friendly experience that is sure to be inspiring and enjoyable for all.

Here's What's Happening at WorldFest this Year:

• Main Stage - bigger-name bands and celebrity speakers.
  
• Earth Lounge - singer/songwriters, jazz, rock, funk, and world music groups and poets.
  
• EcoTent - speakers, discussions, and displays about sustainable living and current environmental issues
  
• Healthy Hut - speakers, discussions, and displays about health including yoga, meditation & cooking demos.
  
• Exhibitors - more than 100 companies and organizations showcasing their products or eco- and animal-friendly messages.
  
• Kids' World - storytelling, face painting, and children's entertainers and other activities!
  
• Oasis Beer and Wine Garden - Refresh yourself in the Oasis located near the Main Stage!
  
• Animal Adoptions - dogs, cats, rabbits and lots of animals looking for good homes!
  

Other Info:

• ATM Access: There is an ATM machine on the grounds of WorldFest.
• Sign Language Interpreters available at the festival upon request
• Bring your own water bottle to WorldFest for FREE FILTERED DRINKING WATER!
  
  

Speed Dating at WorldFest!

Interested in Ride-Sharing to WorldFest?

Sign up here for an account and become a member of a growing and dynamic community. It is free to join and to use. PickupPals can track the number of rides they have given or taken and the number of miles they have traveled via ride sharing and WorldFest can keep track of the amount of carbon emissions we have collectively reduced as a result!

Biking to WorldFest?

Attendees biking to WorldFest can lock their bikes to our fencing in a specified area and we will have volunteers watch over them until your day is done!



WorldFest Cell Phone and Printer Cartridge Recycling Drive:

Unclutter your life and protect the planet. Bring your old cell phones or printer cartridges (Inkjet or Laser) to WorldFest 2009 and let us do the recycling. Drop off at the admissions table! We have boxes for the cell phones but please bring the cartridges in a plastic bag! 

Map of the event:

Coming Soon!

Meet the people who make it all happen
Organizing WorldFest is no small task. Our crew of volunteers work around the clock to bring this incredibly inspiring day to the public. From office administrators to entertainment coordinators to graphic designers to flyering teams, these are the everyday heroes and heroines that have helped to make WorldFest what it has become today.

Jill Hahn, Director, Co-Producer
Billy Hulting, Co-Producer, Sponsor Coordinator, Production Manager

Looking to get involved in a community of people who were doing something to make a difference, Jill joined the WorldFest team in 2001 as the Exhibitor Coordinator.   She has been directing and co-producing the festival since 2003.  Recognizing the importance and interdependence of the environmental, animal rights, and human rights movements, Jill has volunteered for many events and non-profits.  It is her dream to live in a more compassionate world, one in which we tread lighter on the planet and treat all sentient beings with respect.

Passionate about the environment and animals Billy has been working for WorldFest since 2001 as the production Manager and since 2005 has been at the helm of the Entertainment Team and Co-Producer of the Festival. In his real life Billy is a Grammy Award winning live and studio musician who tours with Zappa Plays Zappa, Lou Rawls, Patti Labelle, and The Manhattan Transfer. He also has a studio where he helps people produce their recordings. When he isn't on stage or in the studio you can find this vegan out there climbing mountains, skating marathons, sailing his boat, or SCUBA diving. Why is Billy involved in WorldFest? - "This festival makes a difference."

Andrea Gullo
Exhibitor Coordinator, Grants Coordinator

Andrea first got involved with WorldFest in 2001, and currently helps with grant writing and coordinating the Healthy Hut. A vegan since 2001 and vegetarian since 1990 she works in the environmental field in part promoting a peaceful coexistence between people and animals. She helps with WorldFest because it is one of her top favorite days of the year and wants to help create that experience for others!

Veda Stram
Exhibitor Assistant

In 1988, Veda was exposed to her first photograph of an animal in a laboratory around noon and attended an animal rights meeting that night. She was a vegetarian within weeks, vegan within months, and has spent most of her waking hours since then working for the rights of sentient beings. She has volunteered for Orange County People for Animals, Northwest Animal Rights Network and also volunteered and worked for The Animals' Voice Magazine. Currently she is on staff with AnimalsVoice.com. This is her fifth year of volunteering for WorldFest which she does this because of her convictions about the value and importance of educating people to celebrate life by choosing compassion at every opportunity.

Bettina Rosmarino
Media and Marketing Director

Bettina Rosmarino has been a tireless worker for animals and the environment for almost 20 years. While animal rights is her passion, she feels that it is inextricably linked with issues involving the environment and social justice and that work in any of these fields benefits them all. Bettina also has a passion for music and educational empowerment that has the power to inspire on an individual level. She believes that WorldFest accomplishes this with style. Having been involved in WorldFest since 2001, in various roles, Bettina currently serves as Media Outreach Coordinator.

Brittany Anderson
Healthy Hut Coordinator

Brittany Anderson moved to Los Angeles from Minneapolis this fall. The warm and welcoming vegan community made her transition to a new city a very easy one. And the weather didn't hurt: a lifelong soccer player, Brittany was thrilled to be playing futbol outdoors in January. She is looking forward to her first WorldFest!

Dave has volunteered for Worldfest as sign coordinator for the last four years. He also assists at admissions and as general troubleshooter the day of the event. A vegan for 14 years, Dave is also active in animal rights street activism in Los Angeles. He founded Vegan Toastmasters in 2003 (see vegantoastmasters.org) and hopes to put his recently acquired law degree to good use soon.

Stephen Beidner
Merchandise Coordinator

Stephen has been the Coordinator of the Merchandise & Information Booth since 2001 (Minus the 2006 festival when he was in Australia) He has been involved in political and social activism since he was 16, because after all why else are we here other then to give back and try to make this a better world. Though he is pretty anti-materialistic, Merchandise ironicaly has been a natural fit for him, since he has been doing similar work with other organizations for a long time. In the real world Stephen has been a farmer, radio disc jockey, bartender, winery worker, caregiver, gift catalog manager for a non-profit......(he gets bored easily). Having the wanderlust, this long-time world traveler has spent the last few years searching for the perfect place to live...and is still searching. Stephen has been a vegan for 18 years.

Corey Roscoe
Social Networking Coordinator / merchandise co-coordinator

Corey first got involved in Worldfest in 2008. This year she took on the job of social networking coordinator and merchandise co-coordinator. A vegan since 2004 and vegetarian since 1991, she has a background in humane education and is a native of Cleveland, OH. Corey is currently a H.E.A.L. (Helping Enhance Animal’s Lives) volunteer for the SPCA Los Angeles and actively campaigned late last year for Yes on Prop 2. Corey believes in widening people’s circle of compassion through education and is delighted to be part of the Worldfest team.

Nick Somers
Website / Graphics Coordinator, Event Photographer

Nick became involved with animal, environmental, and social issues after moving to Los Angeles several years ago. Having never been content with the status-quo, Nick has turned his creative abilities in graphic design & photography into an avenue for promoting the progressive ideas that he believes are needed to make our world a better place. A cancer survivor since age 22, he's had a rare opportunity at an early age to figure out what's really important in life, and has dedicated his life to making positive changes happen, one person at a time.

Andy Mars
Children's Area Coordinator

Andy became actively involved in World Fest in year one, coordinating the Children's Area. Among numerous other involvements, Andy produced World Vegan Day LA in 2004, first became involved in Earthsave in its early years, in 1989, developing educational materials, has been on the Board of Trustees of The American Vegan Society since 1987, and was a founding member, back in 1986, of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. He has a PhD in Education and works during the school year as an Educational Consultant, Counselor, and Tutor. He is the Director of Students Taking Action & Responsibility Today, via which he coordinates hands-on community service projects for elementary and middle school children to reach out and make a difference in the world around them, on weekends throughout the year. He also is the Director of the wide array of Camp Exploration day and overnight camps, all of which are vegan. He looks forward to again entertaining, enthusing, and empowering the children who come to World Fest this year, (along with his vegan therapy dog K-9).

Stuart Galbraith
Stage Manager

Stuart, who is possibly the only British actor living in the city of Angels who also has a day job as a veterinary nurse, has been with the worldfest squad since 2000 and is really looking forward to this years event. He has been vegan since he was 13 years old and considers it the best thing that has ever happened to him. In his spare time (?????), Stuart enjoys soccer, skiing and going to the theatre. He'd like to say hello to anyone who wishes to say hello to him, and he is still chasing his dream parts of Hamlet and John Proctor. Cheers.

Sean "The Charmer" Weerasinghe
Director of Admissions & Sales / Program Guide Editor

Sean has been with WorldFest since 2001, when it was decided that the event needed someone to head up Admissions and collect entry fees to cover WorldFest production costs. With his graphics experience, he was also asked to help put together and design the program guide. It was approximately 11 years ago, when Sean literally woke up one morning and decided that he could no longer eat or contribute to the slaughter of innocent & sentient life. Over the years and thru many trials & tribulations, some devastating, Sean has grown, matured & evolved into "The Charmer", as he is fondly nick-named and called by his friends. Sean has worked in the Entertainment Industry for about 10 years now, starting off as a labeller, sales, coordinator, management to quality control, video opertaions, editing & graphics. Sean is currently attempting to turn his dreams of being an actor, writer & producer into a reality. While Sean isn't working, dreaming or taking people's money for WorldFest, he is also a Big Brother with Big Brothers of America, volunteers & donates to a number of animal rights, environmental & humanitarian groups. He also enjoys writing, including his poetry. Sean also cherishes every moment he can to spend time with his family, friends, animals & time outdoors, in nature...the best support group & network anyone could wish for! And of course let's not forget spending hours of cuddle-time with Chicky-dog!!