Spokane’s annual Earth Day celebration is this Saturday – and for the second straight year it’s going to be a street party! Come join us for the fun, the education and the community spirit. Oh and in case you haven’t seen – the forecast outlook is INCREDIBLE!
Earth Day 2011!
When: Saturday, April 23, 2011
Why: Celebration of Our Environment and Community
Who: Community members, community leaders, youth, musicians, artists, vendors,
free spirits and YOU!
Where: Downtown Spokane, on Main Street (street closed to traffic), between Division
and Browne
Time: 11 a.m. to midnight
Theme: Sustainable Communities, Active Stewardship, Alternative Transportation, Energy and Conservation and Local Foods
If you haven’t yet picked this up about Spokane, this can-do city really knows how to throw an event. And with last year’s redesigned Earth Day event being a building block, organizers are more than thrilled to unveil the 2011 edition this Saturday.
Earth Day 2011 will be an energetic combination of live music, street performers, good local food, children activities, organization tabling, spoken word, information gathering, eye-opening experiences, speeches and oh yeah, the always popular Procession of Species parade.
The Spokane Riverkeeper will as always be taking part, and this year we have a few surprises. Like last year we will have the Riverkeeper raft out on Main Street, and we’ll be showing our new kayak off. In addition we’ll have a special Thank You gift that we’d like you to sign for Representative Andy Billig, a kid’s coloring and activity packet and more. Come join us!
A little more about Earth Day Spokane 2011:
We have over 100 community groups and organizations tabling this year. Come down and learn about everything from local alternative energy DIY options to all-natural healing choices. As always, the range and diversity of groups and organizations working to make Spokane more environmentally friendly and sustainable will be on full display. But this year we’re changing the way you visit the many tables.
We have put a lot of time and thought into the design and schematic of the event and created five pods that you will make your way through. These five pods will be both informational for you, and exciting for your children. The five pods are; Sustainable Communities, Active Stewardship, Alternative Transportation, Energy and Conservation and Local Foods. In each pod we will be featuring a keystone kid’s activity. We are asking each kid to stop by the Earth Day Spokane Info booth when they get there and pick up a Earth Day Spokane passport. As you make your way through the tables and your kids complete the activities, they will get their passport stamped. At the end of they day, we will have a prize drawing for those who completed a passport. The passports were locally designed and feature fun characters for each pod. The characters are; “Turn Off the Lights Tree Frog”, “Cool Crew Cougar”, “Farmers Marmot”, “Eager for Peace Eagle” and “Slammin’ Sinatra Salmon”.
And that’s not all for kids. We will have a fun button-making booth featuring up-cycled products, and the always popular Procession of Species. So what is the Procession of Species you might ask?
“Every April the Earth Day Celebration in Spokane features the Procession Of The Species, celebrating nature in our community. This is a public people-powered event and everyone is involved … including you! The Procession Of The Species is a fun parade featuring a colorful kaleidoscope of imaginative costumes, creative masks, music and more. Everyone can participate in this joyous celebration. The theme of the procession is the many species of our Earth, and you can represent them in any way that you like: wear a mask or simple costume … dress colorfully and carry an image of your favorite species (is it a bird? a fish? an insect friend? are you a flower or tree?) … paint your face … bring drums and other instruments … let your imagination run wild!
Want to make a costume? How about a drum? There are free booths at the Earth Day celebration where you can make your own costumes, drums, etc. Come early and have fun creating your very own look for The Procession, it’s great fun for everyone!
IT JUST AIN’T A PROCESSION WITHOUT MUSIC!
The Procession always needs lots and lots of drums and other instruments, so forward this on to your friends and encourage them to come with you. We want to see everyone playing and having a wonderful time in the best Procession ever! The Procession starts at 2:00PM”
So again, Earth Day Spokane is THIS SATURDAY and you won’t want to miss out. The weather forecast is calling for the first REAL Spring day of the year. If you’ve been hiding out all Spring waiting for the sun to come out and an excuse to put on your sandals, this Saturday is your opportunity. Below is the schedule of events:
SPOKANE EARTH DAY
Events Schedule
DAY
BANDS
Centerstage
11:00 – 11:30 Malidoma Dance
11:30 – 12:00 Hoop Troupe
12:00 – 1:00 B-Radicals
1:00 – 2:00 Brad Keeler Trio
2:00 PROCESSION OF THE SPECIES
Kids and kids at heart start join
Michael Moonbear in the annual march!
Speakers
Community Building Lobby
2:15 Ryan Weech, sustainability advocate
2:20 Mayor Mary Verner
2:30 Luke Tolley, Sustainable Works
2:35 Richard Rush, Spokane Councilman 2008-2011
2:40 Brian Estes, p.e.a.c.h. farms
2:45 Taylor Weech, Community-Minded Youth Uprising
2:50 Rich Eichstaedt, Center for Justice | Spokane Riverkeeper
BANDS
Centerstage
3:00 – 4:00 Angela Marie Project
4:00 – 4:30 Adam Kogler
4:30 – 5:00 Bill Tierney
Visit over 100 booths featuring local food, community groups, neighborhood businesses, and free kids
crafts from 11 am – 4 pm.
Parents don’t forget – get your kids’ passports at the Earth Day booth and complete all the activities to
participate in a ra e prize-drawing at 3:30 p.m.
NIGHT
EARTH DANCE
Community Building Warehouse
6:00 – Midnight Earth Dance
Ages 16+, Free admission, donations encouraged for
Earth Day 2012 fund, Earth Day themed costume contest
with prizes!
Electronic music by:
Foot Muzik (electro)
Eric Thorne (house)
Snuggs (liquid funk)
Nazlefrag (psy)
Also: go-go dancers and special guests!
No water bottles please! Water on site, bring your water
containers.
BANDS
Centerstage
9:00 – 9:30 Civilized Animal
9:30 – Midnight Punks Take the Streets!
Mutant Strain, Chaotic Christ, Water Ostriches,
Fezzle & Dicks, One Man Trainwreck, and more!
And of course NONE of this would be possible without the incredible community support and donati0ns. A BIG THANKS to our main sponsors; Kohls, Community Building Foundation, Community Building/ Saranac and Sustainable Works. And THANKS to our other key sponsors; Spokane Aquifer Joint Board, Slow Food Spokane River, Bumble Bar, Clean Air Lawn Care Spokane, Main Market Co-op, KYRS, Roast House Coffee, The Lands Council, Zip2Water, Sun People Dry Goods and Puzzle Factory.
