On Saturday, October 11th herbalists and lovers of herbal medicines from all over the country will formally celebrate the importance of botanicals in human health with Herb Day 2008. The all-day celebration for the Tampa Bay area will be held in St. Petersburg  and will be hosted by Acupuncture & Herbal Therapies located at 901 Central Ave. 

The event is free and open to the public. There will be lectures, free herb and food tasting, Kava Kava bar, herb plants for sale, and opportunities to visit with various representatives from the local herbal industry to learn about the uses of herbs in health and well-being.

Herb Day was created and organized by the Herb Day Coalition, a national group of non-profit herbal organizations dedicated to herbal education, research, quality control, plant preservation, and the responsible use of herbs in human health. The day will consist of local herbal events that will take place throughout the nation, including a two-day event at the U.S. Botanical Garden in Washington, D.C. 

The St. Petersburg event will be held October 11 from 10 AM to 4 PM in conjunction with the Florida Herb Society, the Florida Chapter of the American Herbalists Guild, and the Professional Herbalist Training Program. Goodie bags will be given to the first 100 people in the door, and there will be prize drawings and raffles throughout the day.

The event will be at Acupuncture & Herbal Therapies, 901 Central Ave, St. Petersburg. Lectures will be held every 45 minutes throughout the day on subjects such as Herbal Skin Care, Growing Herbs in Florida, Herb and Drug Interactions, Becoming an Herbalist, Making Herbal Medicines, Cooking with Herbs and other topics. Lectures will be given by local herb experts such as Robert Linde, AP, RH, director of Acupuncture & Herbal Therapies and director of the Professional Herbalist Training Program, Deserie Valloreo of Herbal Wise, Willow LaMonte of Willow Herbal Delight Gardens, Emily Wenzel of Body & Mind, and other herb experts. Vendors will include the Florida Herb Society, Florida Chapter of the American Herbalists Guild, Professional Herbalist Training Program, Hippie Chicks Products, and others.  Music will be provided by the Urban Gypsies from 11 AM to 2 PM.

For more information see the websites www.herbday.org and www.acuherbals.com. For further information call 727-551-0857.