Everyone is invited to join the 31st annual Earth Day Celebration in the streets of downtown Eugene on April 21 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. From Frank Merrill’s Native American opening blessing, the folk and jazz music of Paul Safar and Friends, costume workshops, environmental project fairs and a parade to honor natural species, the community will unite to celebrate the planet and its myriad of resources.
Britt Tvenge, the events specialist at Downtown Events Management Inc., said the Earth Day Celebration will focus on environmental education, but its significance comes from an appreciation of the connection between families and communities and to the Earth as a whole.
“Earth Day Celebration is a great opportunity for families to come downtown and have fun with the many activities that will relate to the environmental issues, and this is what Earth Day is all about,” Tvenge said.
Festivities will take place in a two-block area between 8th and Broadway streets. Outdoor stages will offer a wide variety of entertainment, environmental project fairs, Earth Action Arenas made of educational booths and displays hosted by community organizations, recycled art costume-making workshops and the “Procession of All Species,” an artistic celebration of the natural world.
The Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority (LRAPA) will be participating in the Earth Action Arenas to promote improvement and maintenance of clean air in Lane County. “We will be displaying the ‘clean air car,’ which is an electric-gas vehicle from Toyota. “People can see and actually learn more about this hybrid vehicle,” Kim Metzler, the manager of public affairs said.
The Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB), one of the sponsors of the Earth Day event, also plans to participate in the Earth Action Arenas. John Mitchell, the communications coordinator, said EWEB plans to promote energy conservation at the celebration because of a recent energy crunch.
“EWEB has a long tradition of participating in various environmental events,” Mitchell said. ” We have an informational booth and will be displaying renewable energy resources both at the University and in downtown.”
From setup to tear-down, many volunteers are needed until the end of the celebration. Susan Montana, the director of internal operations and volunteer services at DEMI, said she welcomes everyone interested in volunteering during the event and after the event. “Our very own celebration of Earth Day in downtown Eugene offers a great opportunity for volunteers to participate and support the earth,” Montana said.
“Earth Day, when it first came out, was very political in nature and it still is,” said Steve Remington, president and managing director of DEMI. “[While] campus activities tend to be a little more political, our event is a little more playful and a little more in the mainstream.”
For more information on the celebration, call DEMI at 681-4108 or visit www.eugenecelebration.com/earthday.