The motto “It ain’t easy being green” is not something heard around Kingston, especially with support from Stillwaters Environmental Center.

Such support can be found at the center’s annual EcoFest on May 31, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

It will be the 15th year for the festival, but the third year under a new annual date.

“[EcoFest] stands for ‘ecology festival,’” said Naomi Maasberg, administrative director of Stillwaters. “The first 12 years, we did it in April, on Earth Day. Out of that 12 years, we had been rained on and hailed on; we only had three years that we didn’t have bad weather.”

So the festival was moved up to the end of May in search of sunnier skies. It has proven to be a good move.

EcoFest includes 40 booths with vendors and information about sustainable topics. There will be a native plant sale, and lots of children’s activities such as face painting and live backyard farm animals. The West Sound Wildlife Center will make a visit to EcoFest with one of its raptors.

Children can meet different animals, and can get their faces painted.

“The (local) preschool always does a kids’ crafts booth,” Maasberg said. “We have things on stage all day, mostly musical and some drama and we have some good food.”

Food will be offered by Mi Sueno Taqueria and Viking Feast Ice Cream. Music and dramatic performances will take place on the festival stage.

“And a lot of fun,” Maasberg said. “We call it edu-tainment. It’s a gathering for the community. People come and spend two or three hours hanging out, listening to music, talking to people around town. It’s like the farmers market but with all green stuff.”

The festival will add two new attractions this year: an open mic for children and a film screening.

Children can take over the stage from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

“It’s time set aside for kids who play an instrument, or sing, or to read poetry,” Maasberg said. “For any kid up through high school.”

The 50-minute film “Out of the Mist” will screen each hour, on the hour. The film presents the stories of four different residents of the Olympic Mountains as part of a Sierra Club project.

“The film itself is quite stunning,” Maasberg said. “We’re excited, it’s an award winning film.”

More information about EcoFest and Stillwaters Environmental Center can be found online at www.stillwatersenvironmentalcenter.org.