Earth Day to feature free activities, events for healthy living, environmental education

The seventh annual Earth Day festival will feature free activities and events that promote healthy living and environmental education, and encourage individuals to create and contribute to a sustainable community, a press release said.

The festival is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 26 at Alvin K. Bissell Park in Oak Ridge.

It’s hosted by Keep Anderson County Beautiful.

There will be a Trashformations art exhibit created by local area students made from recycled/found materials. There will also be outdoor games and races for children, a bike rodeo for kids, healthy food vendors, exhibitors showcasing educational booths, and neighborhood games such as hopscotch, bocce, croquet, flying discs, ladder ball, and a special reduce, reuse, recycle game. There will also be a special area for pre-school children.

In case of rain, the event will be moved indoors to the Oak Ridge Civic Center gym at Bissell Park, the press release said.

The popular “Erase Your Trace” special recycling program will be held again at the Oak Ridge Associated Universities parking lot on Badger Road by the Friendship Bell in A.K. Bissell Park in Oak Ridge. The drive-through event will collect old computers and peripherals, personal documents for on-site shredding, gently worn shoes, books, eyeglasses, cell phones, rechargeable and button batteries (no alkaline batteries), and old towels, blankets, and bed-spreads (for the animal shelter). This is a rain or shine event at the parking lot.

Earth Day 2014 will also have an entire month devoted to exploring the city and its greenways. To find clues that lead to hidden prizes with its Geo-Expedition event, check www.orearthday.org.

Festival organizers are expanding the festival this year to encompass not only Oak Ridge and the immediate surrounding counties, but the cities of Knoxville and Lenoir City as well.

“We want people to come join us and see what we’re all about,” said Pat Imperato, a member of the KACB planning committee. “The more people that come, the more we can get the word out about how important sustainable communities are.”

You can find out more about the event, sponsorships, volunteering, and local drop-off centers for shoe collection at www.orearthday.org.