Barr Mansions: An Event Venue in a Deeper Shade of Green
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 07.14.07
Not so long ago we published our guide on How to Green Your Wedding, and soon after that we posted details of this TreeHugger’s own green nuptuals. These posts lead the folks from Barr Mansions in Austin, Texas to get in touch with us and tell us about their awesome-looking green wedding and event venue. Not only are these guys the first special events venue in the country (as far as they can ascertain) to be certified as serving all organic ingredients, but they have also worked hard at reducing the impact of all aspects of their operations, from sourcing local food and organic flowers, to using green cleaning products and soy candles. They've even built a ballroom using largely recycled materials. It really looks like Barr Mansions are walking their talk:
“We garden organically. We recycle everything we can. We compost all our kitchen scraps. We use 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper. We use organically grown flowers in all our arrangements. Our food service is certified organic by Oregon Tilth and the USDA. We are members of the Green Restaurant Association and take at least three environmental action steps each year. We cool and heat our building with geothermal power. The Mansion has a 75-year concrete roof and the ballroom has a 75-year thatched roof.”
Anyone in the Austin area wanting to check out this venue should keep next Friday free, as Barr Mansions will be hosting Austin’s first Organic Fest at 7pm, a feast of local and organic offerings – contact the mansion for more details as we couldn’t find them online. Apparently there will be a Green Ribbon Cutting, in honor of the mansions’ new found certified status, and a plethora of seasonal food, organic growers and vendors, live entertainment, and organic leaders and advocates. ::Barr Mansions::
