More than 50,000 people are expected to visit Balboa Park on Sunday, April 23 to celebrate Earth Day. The 17th annual EarthFair sponsored by San Diego EarthWorks will feature free activities for the entire family from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Year after year, the message is the same: Everyone can help to reduce waste and conserve resources. According to EarthWorks CEO Carolyn Chase, the event provides ample opportunity for individuals to find their niche.
“There is such a wide range of diverse people who are trying to find ways to improve things,” Chase said of the more than 250 exhibitors who serve as the event’s main staple.
Among the new booths this year will be an e-waste collection center for cell phones, computers, TVs and ink cartridges; cooking demos and samples by Kashi; a “Leave No Trace” environmental stewardship activity sponsored by REI; a city exhibit about recycling tires; and an efficiently built wooden playhouse that will be raffled off at the end of the day.
While the majority of exhibitors return each year, Chase has noticed an increase in global warming education, as people acknowledge “it’s real.” Other participating businesses and organizations run the gamut, from the Christian Vegetarian Association to the Spay and Neuter Action Program to the School of Healing Arts. Chase always shoots for enough attendance to keep the exhibitors talking all day long.
The Children’s Earth Parade and Cleaner Car Caravan begin at 10:30 a.m. by the Spanish Village. Children’s groups, such as the Girl Scouts and Roots and Shoots will march through the park in costumes that reflect the Earth Day theme. The kids finish the parade at the Children’s Area in the Pan American Plaza, where they will find face painting, arts and crafts, and educational activities. Alternative fuel vehicles “” bikes, segways and homemade contraptions included “” will follow and conclude at “AFV Alley,” also in the Pan American Plaza.
Next to the Children’s Area is an art show with an Earth Day twist. All works are made of recycled materials and feature San Diego County’s endangered species.
For the home builder or owner, the eHome exhibit will explain alternative and sustainable technologies, such as straw bale and steel frame construction, energy efficient appliances and photovoltaic systems.
No fair is complete without entertainment, and this year Balboa Park will feature five stages with performances by local musicians, folk acts sponsored by San Diego Folk Music Heritage Society, music and storytelling for kids, and a magic show about water conservation.
A full day of education and entertainment is sure to result in an empty stomach. The food pavilion strays from normal fair eats by serving humane, sustainable and organic vegetarian cuisine. Food waste will be composted, cutlery recycled, and vendors are required to use biodegradable containers and plates. For visitors unable to resist the call of high-fructose corn syrup and trans fat, Balboa Park’s regular concession stand will remain open all day, serving hot dogs, chips and soda.
Chase takes care to ensure that the event itself has little impact on the environment. San Diego EarthWorks uses solar power when possible, provides reusable tablecloths, employs electric golf carts for transportation, and collects recyclable and compostable waste from vendors and the crowd.
“Doing good for the environment is not that hard “” you just have to apply a little attention to things,” Chase said.
She encourages consumers to educate themselves on the food they eat and the products they purchase, as well as what happens after those items are thrown in the trash. Within San Diego city limits alone, residents produce 9 million pounds of waste daily, all of which ends up in the Miramar Landfill. And according to the Department of Environmental Services, 65 percent of the landfill’s contents are recyclable and taking up precious space.
Chase hopes Earth Day serves as the impetus for a year-round effort to implement change. San Diego EarthWorks offers many programs throughout the year, including the Green Built Tour of homes and offices with green features, as well as the Rose Creek Watershed Project to restore the area and reduce pollutants flowing into Mission Bay.
The fair requires the help of 400 volunteers, although more are welcome and often needed. Service organizations, colleges and high schools, companies and the general public pitch in their time and manpower. All profits made at the EarthFair, from the food pavilion to vendor booths, benefit nonprofit organizations.
For more information, visit www.earthdayweb.org or call (858) 272-7370.