The Nor’easter Festival at the waterfront brought together runners, climbers, cyclists and Burlington community members over the weekend of Sept. 23-25. The heart of the festival could be found at the Burlington Waterfront. Vendors and sponsors such as Clif Bar, Merrell and SmartWool showed up to present their newest gear while The North Face encouraged festival-goers to impress them with your climbing skills at their climbing wall. Informational booths caught you up with the latest news on conservation and eco-friendly practices that you may not have been aware of. Representing the Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD), Clare Innes, marketing and communications coordinator at CSWD, spoke to passers-by of the importance of recycling and composting. “What we do at the CSWD is basically manage the flow of recycles, compost and trash in Chittenden County,” Innes said. “We keep the reusables out of the stream of waste.” Much of the waste, such as scrap metal and other materials that would generally end up in a landfill, is salvaged for reuse. Additional information presented by the CSWD pertained to the recycling of your standard latex paint. As it is hazardous waste, it must be disposed of safely and properly. The CSWD filters the paint to make it environmentally friendly and sells each batch at the rate of two gallons for less than $20. To bring more life to the party, musical performances by G. Love and the Special Sauce, RJD2 and Okkervil River carried the vibes through the nights. Community members were impressed by the success of the festival. “I think the overall idea of an event like this is great,” Andrew Tataronis said. The show was an all-ages event. Festivalgoers from small children to adults could be found listening to the festival’s musical acts or mingling around the many tents set up at the waterfront. Fundraising for Project Kili Porters was also going on at the Nor’easter. Taylor Morrell, 13, an avid climber who hails from Vermont, has hiked many of the most prestigious peaks in the U.S. including Mount Shasta and Grand Teton, participated in the fundraising for Project Kili Porters. The operation, Project Kili Porters, helps raise money to buy the native porters adequate footwear and equipment to safely trek up the mountains. Donations are being accepted at Eastern Mountain Sports. Morrell said he is looking to hike Mount Kilimanjaro in the near future. After conducting much research on the mountain, he says he has learned of the mountain’s porter service. “A mountain porter is someone who assists a climber up the mountain,” Morrell said. “They often do not have shoes on.”