The Idaho Falls Earth Day Celebration unites the community for a day of food, fun and learning.
The celebration takes place on April 27 at the Joe Marmo/Wayne Lehto Ice Arena and the Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Organized by the Eastern Idaho Environmental Education Association (EIEEA), the event features live music, educational activities, games and booths from local companies and organizations, drawing as many as 10,000 visitors annually.
Sponsors include the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), the Idaho National Laboratory and the Post Register.
The first attempt at a local Earth Day celebration happened over several days in 1999, where snow led to poor attendance at the zoo.
“I think we collected one bag of aluminum cans,” said Michell Walker, a DEQ employee and committee member.
In 2000, the entire celebration happened on one day, with greater success this time.
“Thus, Earth Day as we know it today was born!” Walker said.
In order to educate students and individuals in the region, the Idaho Falls Earth Day Committee partnered with the Post Register to distribute educational inserts as part of their Newspapers in Education program.
The event also gets students involved in essay and poster contests as part of the education initiative.
Booth presenters provide information about reducing impact on the environment by reusing and recycling. They also talk about alternate forms of transportation, energy consumption, organic foods and other alternatives that promote a “green” lifestyle.
Activities include the Clean Transportation Show, the Challenge Course Run and the Skate Jam, put on by The Nayborhood skate shop.
There will be food vendors and entertainment, including raffles, stage shows, crafts for children and solar viewing.