the kick off this weekend in our area with broccoli city. the festival takes place on saturday may 6th but all week leading up to the festival there will be lots of events to take part in and enjoy. joining us this morning are broccoli city organizers. allen is the co-founder and darryl per kins is the chief strategy officer. thank you for being with us gentlemen. congratulations on your fifth year. >> thank you. we're happy to have come this far. >> so tell us about broccoli city and how it came about. what is

>> we started as a celebration of earth day and celebrate our planet and celebrate healthy living. it's really just expanded to now a week long event as well as mobilizing people to volunteer events. to a conference this year and really setting trends toward health, wellness and environmental sustainability. >> this is the first year that you had a whole week leading up to the big events. the concert. it kicked off k-5 runs. >> we had a little under 300 runners. it was a beautiful day. sunny, 92 degrees. it was a great time. after the run we were able to have fitness instructors from the heart association and another hour and then we dispersed a lovely saturday here

in d.c. >> we definitely have a lot of millennials from all backgrounds and shapes, colors and in our part of broccoli city and we're definitely focussing on getting millennials to be more conscious about the decision they make with their health. with what we're eating, how we're eating, making it cool and fun to workout and running collective. we did a lot of great work activating and mobilizing people to run and really again set that trend toward health and wellness so as we're living healthier lives we're doing a pretty good job of people being more conscious of what we do. >> marcus we see so many ads and efforts to reach people to

care about the health of the planet and it seems your generation and the millennial generation has really taken to that message and are really sort of owning it but event social issues are a lot more connected going on. but also want to be sure and feel about it and folks take it into consideration. we like to think of it being a platform to one get the information or two present itself as an opportunity to get your message across about your organization or whatever it is that you stand for or represent. >> so the concert again is the big event at the end of the week but walk us through the week. >> sure.

so we culminate with the concert on saturday. we're working with google as well as the african american history museum so on thursday we're doing a large volunteer effort. working as well with the red bull an it's geared toward change makers on telling their story. so people doing really great work in their community, helping them tell their stories and getting the message out to people so we have a workshop on thursday and that's followed thursday night so the concept is bring people together around art, music, we're doing where you're able to pick records out and we have d.j.s making a big mix of songs from all areas and ages and people will be able to do their own silent discos in this area which is a new thriving area here in d.c. and we' s

expand what we have been doing and we have the theme of building broccoli series. inclusive and sustainable or there's environmental justice. the concept of climate change and technology so we have just an amazing, just people from all different walks of life that are really coming together just to have really good conversations and then actionable steps we can work toward. >> broccoli city is the event and we'll continue our discussion here on for your sunday viewpoint right after this.

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welcome back. we're talking about broccoli city this morning and tell us how this all got started. it understand it began with a t-shirt. >> sort of. our partner that couldn't be here today had the idea to news the name and create t-shirts called broccoli city and we began to get inquiries about having us create t-shirts for them and we learned about earth day and saw the huge initiative and opportunity for communicating to the urban community about these same top ix and back in 2010 we had our first earth at a event in los

angeles. and this is the fifth broccoli city festival in d.c. >> the name? >> it comes from greensboro for green and city. >> >> i think about what my husband won't eat. >> going through that is changing the way people are eating food and find good ways to love broccoli. it's grown organically. >> the festival is about a lot more than just music tell me more about that. that sounds fascinating

4th. we'll have artists from all over the city doing art. and dee jays and warehouse venue. organic type of event. very similar at south by southwest. that sort of thing the big picture for us is to have an event that leads us into a festival that the whole city gets behind and champions as our own south by southwest. >> how many people do you generally attract? >> this is the first year for the conference but for the festivals we did almost 13,000 individuals. this year about 15,000 with the conference we should do probably about 500 people throughout the conference and the events throughout. >> so your programs and your events or movement is really about sustainability, the environment, renewable energy

and economic opportunity but all of those things are inspired by your creation of the power of one campaign people were able to earn a ticket by volunteering. the thought was how about mobilizing people to projects that matter getting boots on the ground and projects helping our community. that we do have so much power when we work together that if us three build a garden it might take us all day but 50 other people we can build a garden in two hours so we wanted to figure out how can we mobilize people to action throughout the year so we created the power of one campaign and an app called chip in. and go to i

more information on that but people are able to volunteer and can incentivize volunteering and we have a marketplace where we're able to use the chip believing that folks don't have the financial means and could still be completely engaged with the festivals. our partners, we have gift cards and a number of things that you're able to get by volunteering so really for us it's about mobilizing people. >> what are some of the activities that -- or ways people can give back to their community. >> sure. we work with d.c. central kitchen and raised bed.

now to find larger partners that have larger needs like national park service that have large needs for volunteers all across the country as we try to expand the app past d.c. >> there's no limit in terms of what we're able to do because we have folks that want to get engaged just putting them where they can be engaged and being able to organize people and move people from here to there. >> get good work done and have some you fun. >> exactly. >> it's broccoli city and we'll continue getting you more information about it right after this break.

welcome back. we're talking about broccoli city coming up. tell me more about this app because this is a cool concept and the way people can get v

and also earn tickets for the concert. >> absolutely. last year as he was saying the power of one campaign sparked the idea and what we saw is if we can create the opportunity for people to have the same energy that they had last year on earning the ticket to the festival we could do that year round and do activities and do good in the community that we felt like we could do major change throughout the world. so what we have done is created an application where folks can get out and earn ships to be spent on the marketplace and it's been very successful. folks are buying things like the festival ticket. and exxon mobil gas cards and really things people need to survive. it's a true social economy and looking for more partners and any organizations that need volunteers. please hit us up. >> and they

your app. >> absolutely. >> through your app. >> absolutely. >> chip in. that's pretty cool. the conference on thursday is a two day conference and we should say that we have some nbc 4 people that are going to participate. our social media editor will be doing the workshop and angi angie gough will be moderating. tell us about what they're going to be doing. >> the theme is building broccoli city and building inclusive cities so we have heads of, just really amazing people in the fields. we have him there and michael who does a lot of great work in terms of civic engagement around jeff staple that's big on fashion and just kind of a cool vibe. a hip hop artist but also has a co

juices so he'll be speaking on that. we have the story along with a number of other folks looking at technology and looking at politics and getting great minds to come together. >> networking. >> networking having these good conversations and definitely having actionable items that we can move forward with. >> so all of this is the big build up to the big show that takes place on saturday and the festival is headlined co-headlined as well. >> the black beatles. >> yeah. >> tell us about the other artists. >> sure. 21 savage, local acts such as chad french. >> when you put a festival like

performers. how you put the music together. the chart toppers or is there real psychology and sociology involved in the compilation of your festival performers. you studied. you actually studied in college. >> i think it's a balance. it's getting balance. to have messages as well as folks to have a good time and celebrate. and just creating a good energy and a good vibe among the festival goers and he might get to see him with nick grant or a nao so there's a really important blend with people as well as looking at how there's

blend along with the mission of broccoli city. >> music has always been so much a part of our lives and our culture. our heritage. what is it to millennials? >> i know millennials that are more into music than they are into news but that's my thing. music is very much a part of who they are and how they define themselves. >> i think for all generations music is such an important part of our culture in terms of, you know, it's what we're putting into our hand. the role music has played historically with our different culture movements. whether you're looking at the 60s and that is a part of your entertainers out front and it was cool to have it thrown and be enfwajed. we want to bring t

terms of it being cool to be engaged. it's cool to care about your body and they he want to shift that culture toward that health and wellness and sustainability and making it cool to be a part of something and that's what we, you know, one of the things that we love to do is getting people active. and not cool if you're not active. >> is there an artist who spans generations who will be participating? when i think of them i think of millennials but you go back to my generation marvin gay who had a message smoky robinson. motown. message music but music that made you feel good and made you want to be involved and engaged in the issue of the day. >> absolutely. it is very importantha

sprinkle in those individuals and those artists that provide those messages. as well as provide a situation or environment for anybody of all ages. it feel likes a family reunion. even if it's something that will resinate with you. i'm sure you'll love the people and the venn doris and everything that comes with it. it's definitely something for people that i'm sure everybody will enjoy. >> we'll take a quick break and we'll talk a little more about the marketplace. we want to hear about this. good stuff.

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>> d.c. getting ready for broccoli city all this week. it's under way but the big concert coming up next saturday so what do we need to know? we can still, you can still earn tickets, right? >> still earn tickets on the application i chip

there's still a few tickets left as well as there's still festival tickets. we'll be running a promo with nbc. you can get a discount using promo code spring 17 and go to the website and we'd love to vefsh come out. >> tell me about the food. >> a lot of good food. >> food for every palate. >> yes. >> work on the local vendors there. he makes amazing vie gan food. we have really great vendors. >> a lot of great vendors selling things from jewelry to vintage closing and there's just a lot of good stuff going on and as well as the information. >> broccoli is on the

>> in some way. >> all right so to get tickets we can go to the websites you just mentioned. the nbc washington website will also have some information about tickets but it's not too late but you said marcus, darryl, to hurry. >> definitely. we sold out last year and we're headed in that same direction this year so don't wait get them now. what if you want to get a vip ticket. >> there's just a few left. >> thank you so much. marcus allen and darryl perkins, it sounds like great fun and for more information about the festival search broccoli city in the nbc washington app. thanks for being with us this morning. news 4 today is next.

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news 4 today starts now. oh yeah, it is warming up out there and you're going to feel the athlete week. storm team 4 tracking when thunderstorms might get in the way of your plans. >> does anybody remember who our opponent was? huh? >> day 101 and not far from the campaign trail, the familiar messages as president trump looks ahead to the next challenges. back ahead and jake ahead, and he has scored. >> that's not over, but it is certainly not looking good for the cats either. big obstacle they're going to have to overcome to