Lamorinda Earth Day Festival 2009
A Celebration of Going Local!
On Sunday, April 19th, the City of Lafayette, Sustainable Lafayette, Sustainable Moraga, and the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce will host a unique Earth Day celebration around the idea of “Going Local.” This will be the first festival of its kind -- focused on five ways to go local: eat local, shop local, power local, move local, and act local.
The festival will feature five zones representing the five ways to go local. Each zone will feature local non-profits and businesses with educational displays, handouts, information, and activities. In total there will be more than 50 non-profits and vendors participating! In addition to the five zones, there will be inspirational speakers, live music, videos, tasty local foods, kids’ activities, a collaborative art piece and even recycling!!
Five Zones to Explore
The Eat Local Zone is about choosing sustainable, locally grown food and will feature local alternative to mass-produced food, including local farmers, farmer’s market information, community supported agriculture (CSAs), and even heirloom starters you can purchase for your own garden.
The Shop Local Zone is about keeping your dollars in town and will feature the Lafayette, Moraga, and Orinda Chambers of Commerce sharing information on the benefits of shopping locally and several local businesses showcasing their green products.
The Move Local Zone is all about new ways to go short distances and will feature commuting bikes, scooters, Smart Cars, a demonstration plug-in hybrid and representatives from 511.org, AAA, and the East Bay Bicycle Coalition.
The Power Local Zone is all about creating and conserving your own energy and will feature vendors sharing information on solar, solar financing, geo-thermal, energy audits, efficient heating and AC, and a variety of solar toys for kids to check out.
The Act Local Zone is all about getting involved to help your town thrive. There will be a wide range of school and scout groups and area non-profits.
Speakers
Dr. Ellis Jones, Professor at UC Davis, has won numerous awards for his work on social responsibility, global citizenship and everyday activism and gives presentations across the country on how to turn lofty ideals into practical actions. He is the author of the Better World Handbook and Better World Shopping Guide. Dr. Jones will give a presentation titled “Changing the World with Your Consumer Dollars: From Global to Local.” More info at: http://www.betterworldshopper.com/author.html. Presentation at 1pm.
Kathryn Lyddan, Executive Director of the Brentwood Agriculture Land Trust, is an expert on the state of farming in Contra Costa County and will give a talk titled “Local Food for Future Generations.” Presentation at 2pm.
Alliance for Climate Education, will give a 35 minute presentation for students about greenhouse gases and climate change and the importance of changing the ways we use energy and the types of energy that we use. The presentation concludes by explaining the powerful tools young people have to help create a cooler future for our country and the World. Presentation at 12pm.
Live Music
Calaveras - Original acoustic roots music from this well-known, local band. More info... Performing from 1:45-2:30pm.
Laura Zucker - Local award-winning singer/songwriter in the style of James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, and Melissa Etheridge. More info... Performing from 2:30-3pm.
Michael Black - Electro-melodic Americana. Performing from 12-12:45pm.
Bicycle Safety Rodeo for Kids
Kids can bring their bikes and have fun navigating a course that simulates traffic situations and learn how to ride around their neighborhood and town more safely. View the flyer...
Kids Activities
There will be many activities just for kids besides the Bicycle Rodeo, including: face painting, story reading, animals, solar toys and demonstrations, school and scout displays, and a presentation by the Alliance for Climate Education. Parents should make sure to check out the ECOlunchboxes booth. They will be displaying and selling their ECOlunchbox Kit designed by a Lafayette mom. More info...
Educational Videos
A classroom (Room 301) will be set up with short videos repeating each hour. Videos will include The Story of Stuff and The True Cost of Food.
Tasty Local Foods
Nature’s Bounty, Nibblers, and Terzettos Restaurants will be offering lunch and snacks made from fresh, local ingredients.
Collaborative Art Piece
Another unique feature of the festival will be a collaborative art piece entitled “Our wishes for the world” where everyone can share their wishes and actions for creating a more sustainable World.
Veggie Garden Starters
Diablo Nursery and the Moraga Community Garden will be selling veggie garden starters, including a wide variety of heirloom tomatoes.
Free Recycling Drop-Off
GreenLight Recycling will be in the Stanley parking lot and accepting e-waste free of charge. And they don’t ship it to China! More details on what e-waste they accept.
If you would like more information about the Earth Day Festival or would like to volunteer to help on the day of the event, please send an email to
earthday@sustainablelafayette.net
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Info about the 2008 Earth Day Festival
Info about the 2007 Earth Day Festival