Santa Cruz Earth Day 2013, a fun environmental festival for all ages, will be held in San Lorenzo Park on Saturday, April 20 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The free event will host over 100 educational and green retail booths and features live music from local bands Coffee Zombie Collective and SambaDá. Earth Day offers lots of kids’ activities including a rock climbing wall, face painting, tumbling gymnastics area and arts and crafts booths, all for free! You can browse the electric vehicle showcase or take a test drive, and enjoy delicious food, and the organic wine garden and learn from composting workshops.
Get your gloves dirty to help clean up the San Lorenzo River between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Check in at the Save Our Shores booth. Bring your own gloves and bucket if you have them. The solar powered festival stage, sponsored by Sandbar Solar, will feature live music and a recycled fashion show scheduled throughout the day. A full schedule of events is available at www.ecocruz.org .
Kids’ activities are always a big part of Earth Day. This year, the New Leaf sponsored Kids’ Zone will feature a Kids’ Arts and Crafts activity area run by UCSC student volunteers. Students from local schools will showcase their School Classroom Challenge environmental projects for judges and the public. Award winners will be announced at 12 noon.
Earth Day was founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson as an organized grassroots movement to address concerns about the environment. On April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day was held; there were rallies across the country. The first Earth Day was instrumental in the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. By 1990, Earth Day had globally mobilized 200 million people in 141 countries to focus on environmental issues. The day is an opportunity to gather with other people who care about the environment, to share stories and ideas, to enjoy food and music together, and to take inspiration for ways we can create a healthier lifestyle.
The free Earth Day Santa Cruz event relies on contributing sponsors, who for 2013 include New Leaf Community Markets, Rainbow Light, Nordic Naturals, Santa Cruz Community Foundation, Head Start Program, Community Printers, Sandbar Solar, Blue Heron Design Group, KSBW TV, KWAV Radio, KUSP Radio, the Santa Cruz Sentinel, the Santa Cruz Weekly and Good Times. Get more Earth Day info at www.ecocruz.org or follow Earth Day on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/EarthDaySC.
Earth Day is sponsored and organized by the City of Santa Cruz, County of Santa Cruz, Ecology Action and Save Our Shores. Arrive at Earth Day 2013 by alternative transportation and you will receive a free raffle ticket. People Power will provide free bike valet parking so you can ride your bike and relax. In the event of rain, Earth Day 2013 will be held in the County Government Center Parking Lot. Earth Day 2013 is a Zero Waste event, so bring your water bottle and shopping bag! But please, no smoking or dogs allowed in the park.