USPS Publication Number 16300
T h i s C om mu n it y Ne w s p a p e r i s a p u bl i c a t ion of E s c a m b i a-S a nt a Ro s a B a r A s s o c i a t ion
Se r v i ng t he Fi r st Jud icia l Ci rcu it Section A, Page 1
Vol. 22, No. 14
V isit T he S ummation W eekly O nline : SummationWeekly.com
April 6, 2022
1 Section, 8 Pages
GO GREEN WITH E ARTH DAY PEN SACOL A E ARTH DAY PENSACOL A FESTIVAL RETURNS FOR 32ND ANNUAL CELEBRATION by Nicole Willis
T
he Earth Day Pensacola Festival will return to Bayview Park for its annual Earth Day celebration, showcasing sustainable living through a day of environmental education, art, live music, food vendors, green products and hands-on activities. Drawing thousands of attendees each year, the festival celebrates the Earth, sustainability and creating a cleaner community for us to live, work and play.
“For the 32nd straight year in Pensacola, our local Earth Day celebration is just one day of the year where we can come together to recognize our collective care for our shared home planet,” Earth Day Pensacola event organizer and committee member, Christian Wagley said. “It’s a day of fun, education and inspiration.” All members of the community are invited to take part in the Earth Day festivities for the no-cost event on April 23 at Bayview Park (2001 E Lloyd St.) from 10 am to 4 pm. The festival is a family-friendly space where people come together to celebrate everything “green.”
Armed with a mission to educate the community about environmental issues, empower people to make eco-minded decisions and promote community actions to create a cleaner Pensacola, the Earth Day Pensacola Festival seeks to unite people who are passionate about environmental conservation and are working toward protecting the earth by providing an engaging environment for them to come together, connect and celebrate Earth Day. At the festival, attendees will have the opportunity to shop a variety of eco-friendly goods, products and services from local vendor booths. Ear th Day
Pensacola selected each of the featured vendors and exhibitors based on their eco-friendly missions, products and ideas. Several nonprofit organizations will also be onsite showcasing some of the recent projects and positive work that they are doing to make an impact in the community. The event will also feature a variety of educational resources for individuals to learn about how to make eco-conscious choices on both a local and global level. Keep Pensacola Beautiful (KPB), a local nonprofit organization that provides education and resources for sustained community improvement, will also have a booth set up for their month-long Bag Swap program. The KPB Bag Swap program is part of a larger initiative hosted as part of the annual Great American Cleanup, which KPB hosts each spring from March through May. The bag swaps provide individuals the opportunity to trade in their
Our local Earth Day celebration is just one day of the year where we can come together to recognize our collective care for our shared home planet. It’s a day of fun, education and inspiration.” plastic bags for one of KPB’s reusable tote bags. With Americans using 160,000 plastic bags per second, any reduction to this number is a step in the right direction. KPB hopes to discourage the use of single-use plastics by providing a canvas tote as a sustainable alternative. To learn more about KPB and their April Bag Swap events, visit keeppensacolabeautiful.org. “For the f irst time, this year’s event also includes the Pensacola Arts Market,” Wagley explained. “This will bring out dozens of local vendors specializing in small-batch and handmade eco-friendly products like art, soaps, baked goods, unique jewelry, treats and more.” Apart from the Pensacola Arts Market, there will also be numerous
eco-friendly product vendors, plant-based foods and eco-exhibits for attendees to learn more about sustainability and current impact on the environment. The festival will also feature a variety of food vendors, a garden display to showcase sustainable gardening practices, children’s activities and live music for everyone to enjoy. “As always, the Earth Day stage features a full day of local performers,” Wagley said. “A new one this year is a performance by the modern dance ensemble, Swerve, and we’re very excited about that.” Learn more about the Earth Day Pensacola Celebration and check out the complete list of participating vendors and activities online at earthdaypensacola.org. •
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