It’s spring, and that means its time to celebrate all things green — trees, plants, grass, and on Saturday, Chapel Hill.
A crowd of over 3,500 residents, businesses and students will gather in Southern Community Park in Chapel Hill for the fifth annual Earth Action Day festival.
The festival, which will take place from noon to 5 p.m., will feature over 80 exhibits, sustainability and earth inspired art, local food, live music, solar car races and rain barrels for sale.
“This is an event that we spend four to six months planning and coordinating,” said Wes Tilghman, Chapel Hill’s festivals and special events supervisor. “We’ll expect anywhere from three to four thousand people.”
This year’s festival will also feature a new 5k race — co-hosted by the town and the East Chapel Hill Rotary Club. The proceeds of the race will benefit the Rotary Club’s teacher supply store.
“This is the third year its been presented at Southern Community Park,” said Tilghman. “We moved from a location near the planetarium and out to the park. It creates a wonderful natural backdrop and setting for the event.”
Several University organizations and programs will also attend the event, including the UNC Sustainability Office, the UNC Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling and the Climate Leadership and Energy Awareness Program.
Environmentally-minded local businesses will also be in attendance — advertising and selling their products while promoting conservation and sustainability.
“We do a big ‘Earth month’ anyways at the store,” said Lauren Conrad, owner of Twig, an eco-friendly specialty shop located on South Elliott Road in Chapel Hill. “We try to bring out mission to light since its Earth month and that’s why we go to Earth fairs.”
Conrad said that in addition to setting up a table and selling a variety of her business’ products, the Twig exhibition will participate in an afternoon scavenger hunt with middle school-aged children.
“The event is a celebration of sustainability, and that message will drive through the event in everything we do,” Tilghman said.
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