The drab grayness of winter has finally seceded; flowers are blooming and life around Columbia is celebrating the fresh, warm comfort of spring. As the temperature rises and the landscape brightens to a vibrant green, the community of Columbia shows its own ability to “go green” at the annual Earth Day Festival from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday at Peace Park.
Earth Day invites the community to engage in activities for all ages in order to raise awareness on global climate change and how to be more eco-friendly.
Earth Day’s mission is to spread the message that citizens, individually and collectively, are responsible for the environment. Festival attendees will have the opportunity to learn about energy conservation, organic food and gardening, alternative transportation and more.
Although the Earth Day Festival includes entertainment, a street fair, food vendors and a kids’ park, the central focus of the event is Eco Avenue. The Eco Avenue booths aim to promote and educate the public about sustainability.
“The heart of Earth Day is at Eco Avenue,” said Mark Haim, director of Mid-Missouri Peaceworks and street fair coordinator.“It is a place where people can learn how to reduce their ecological footprint and live in a more respectable fashion.”
Located on Eighth and Elm streets and open from noon to 6:30 p.m., Eco Avenue includes booths concerning solar and zero energy homes, water quality, recycling, urban agriculture and chemical-free plants. The Earth Day Coalition is also holding 10-15 minute workshops in the Eco Avenue Schoolhouse to demonstrate the various ecological ways to avoid waste and help the planet.
“The air is fouled, water is polluted, nonrenewable resources are used up, the climate is altering,” Haim said. “All these things are the result of how we as a species and culture live. Earth Day is designed to celebrate the earth and recognize that the earth is in crisis.”
To liven up the festival and display the youthful vibe of Columbia, there will be seven hours of recreation, including music and dance. All 15 groups are local and cover a wide range of styles from folk rock, hip hop, acoustic guitar, jazz, elementary school choirs, percussion groups and even a Latin group, La Movida.
This year, while providing a family appropriate atmosphere, the festival focuses a bit more on the entertainment, in hopes that more people will hang around the stage, simply for the good tunes.
“Everyone gets out, enjoys the spring and celebrates the earth,” Entertainment Coordinator Sam D’Agostino said. “I am a friend of the earth and am happy to see people enjoying just that.”
For 22 consecutive years, the Earth Day Festival has influenced its participants to become more attentive to nature and to the susceptibility of Earth. Based out of the Peace Nook — a local, eco-friendly store that sells books, natural foods, jewelry and other products — the Earth Day Festival grows greener each year.
“Earth Day is an opportunity to feel a sense of connection,” Haim said. “Kindred spirits concerned about the earth and our future come together as a community to care about and become aware of the planet.”
