The Hillsborough Street Renaissance Festival, a green arts and music festival, is in the planning stages to be held on March 14, 2009 from noon to 10:30 p.m.

Some of the events will include bands playing all day, an organic Iron Chef Cookoff, a BBQ cookoff between the fraternities and a ‘pie-off’ between the sororities.

William McGuire, a senior in aerospace engineering and one of the organizers, said the festival will also benifit the community through charity.

“Initially, we were trying to raise money for one group but then we found out just how in depth it could go and we expanded,” he said.

Engineers without Borders, MorLove and Sole4Souls are the three main charities that will split the proceeds of the festival.

Akeem Robinson, a senior in chemical engineering and the president of Engineers without Borders said his organization is participating in the Renaissance to raise money for its projects in Bolivia and Sierra Leone.

“Each project will recieve water purification system and Sierra Leone will recieve a solar-wind hybrid system to benifit communties,” Robinson said.

Moran Aframian, a senior in textiles, and president of the non-profit organization Morlove said that MorLove is putting on a fashion show at the festival.

“Morlove parterned with American Vintage and Energy Greem Builders together we’re putting together an eco-friendly fashion show and its called Redress Raleigh,” she said.

But the event isn’t just about charity, McGuire said.

“One of the things were trying to do is make the street a place where everyone meets together,” he said.

Daniel Tebo, a freshman at Wake Tech and media director for the Renaissance said that there will be a wide variety of music for a lot of age groups.

“We’re going to have the Amatures, Brookswood, Murphies Kids, Joco, Old Regime, Wrecking Season and Chime Carolina in concert,” he said.

Tebo said the concert will bring people together.

“People who would never hang out will be out there partying together,” Tebo said.

The festival is also about sustainablitity.

“We’re strong believers that you can’t just have environmenal sustainability – you also need financial sustainability,” McGuire said.

The festival is really showcasing companies that demonstrate that, according to McGuire.

“It should be a good time,” McGuire said.

Robinson said he thinks the festival is a great event for him to raise money and also spread the word about his organization.

“It pertains to us because the whole focus of this is to build up Hillsborough Street and show off green technology,” Robinson said.

Engineers Without Borders, Robinson said, is all about developing new technology and helping out the world.

Alexander Joyce, a senior in communication, said he is new to the organizing team.

“It’s something I want to be apart of,” he said.

Aframian said she wants to show people it’s easy to be eco-friendly and also stylish and fahsionable.

“I don’t think people realize how much money you waste on clothes that ae mass produced and arent really good for the environment,” Aframian said.

She said she is involved in the festival to get involved in the community.

“It takes a while for a non-profit to get name recongised and joining in the Hillsborough Street Renesance is a way to touch 15,00 people that I may not have been able to reach on my own,” Afraimi said.

Robinson isn’t sure exactly what his organization will be displaying at the festival.

“We have a couple of options,” he said.

Aframian also said that the businesses on Hillsborough aren’t doing as well as they should.

“It’s something fun and I thinks its good for students to support other students,” she said.