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Jul 25, 2023

White Heron Tea & Coffee to host Sustainability Soiree in Portsmouth

PORTSMOUTH — On Sunday, Sept. 3, White Heron Tea & Coffee will host a collaborative Sustainability Soiree with Seacoast Area Bike Riders, the Wrong Brain nonprofit arts organization The Refill Station

PORTSMOUTH — On Sunday, Sept. 3, White Heron Tea & Coffee will host a collaborative Sustainability Soiree with Seacoast Area Bike Riders, the Wrong Brain nonprofit arts organization The Refill Station and Hammer and the Last Shoe Repair.

The event will run from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 3, at 601 Islington St., Portsmouth, featuring “Tie-Dye Upcycling” with Sam Pao from Wrong Brain. Participants are asked to bring an old garment to tie-dye and walk away with a fun and colorful shirt, hoodie, pair of shorts or pants and stop worrying about that old coffee or mustard stain! The tie-dye workshop will be held in White Heron’s parking lot beneath a pair of tents.

Emma Cancelada from Hammer and the Last Shoe Repair will help “Show Your Shoes Some Love.” Bring a pair of shoes that need repair and Emma will demonstrate some DIY fixes and help you figure out when a pro like Emma needs to step in to do the job!

Jess Blasko from The Refill Station will share some “Easy Solutions to Fashion Pollution,” with a talk about what you can do to rise above disposable fast fashion with tips on upcycling, repairing and refurbishing your existing wardrobe. Ooh, and shopping for cool recycled clothing!

Seacoast Area Bike Riders will hold a Dusty Saddles Bike Wash & Gear Swap in the back half of White Heron’s Islington Street parking lot. Ride your dusty, muddy bicycle over and we’ll give you the tools to brush off dried gunk, soap it up and hose it down. There will be bike racks on hand, buckets, soap, rags, some brushes, water, and a hose. Bring your favorite sponge!

There will also be a table set up to put some extra bits of bike gear you might like to donate to another rider. Bring on those extra blinky lights, bike bags, racks, phone mounts, tires and whatever you are willing to give freely to another rider. You might even find something for yourself! Note: the gear swap is “Pack-It-In/Pack-It-Out." You are welcome to put something on the “free gear” table while you wash your bike and check out the event, but please take anything you brought that is unclaimed with you when you leave!

Wrong Brain is a Dover-based arts organization that provides a venue and outlet for unconventional, under-represented and emerging artists of all mediums in the Seacoast area. The group helps to promote and coordinate independent publications, multimedia events, open markets, exhibitions, discussions, workshops and community projects.

Hammer and the Last Shoe Repair is located at 324 Lafayette Road in Hampton and specializes in fixing shoes, repairing jackets, saddlebags, riding boots and other leather items. In today's world of disposable goods cobblers are a dying breed.

The Refill Station, at 124 Bartlett St., in Portsmouth is a low waste refill shop committed to reducing our plastic footprint and providing sustainable, eco-friendly household products to our community. Owner Jess Blasko is a facilitator of conversation, creation and innovation in our community on ways to reduce our plastic footprint and our general waste.

Seacoast Area Bike Riders is a diverse group of bicycle riders in the Seacoast area of New Hampshire and contiguous parts of Maine. Their vision is to make cycling the new normal on the Seacoast and in our culture. SABR promotes cycling as a way of life for recreation and utility for all Seacoast residents through advocacy, education, and events.

White Heron Tea & Coffee can be found at 601 Islington St., in Portsmouth and is an organic certified tea and coffee company with a 39-seat cafe, in-house bakery and kitchen. Their Islington Street building is powered by solar panels, uses LED lighting and filtered water throughout in an effort to be a sustainable community partner.