Mass. street to see environmental parade
Earth Day parade on its way
Downtown celebration on Saturday will welcome Earth Day on Tuesday.
By Mary Sorrick (Contact)
Friday, April 18th, 2008
A parade down Massachusetts Street and celebration in South Park will launch the Earth Day festivities in Lawrence on Saturday.
Earth Day, which falls on Tuesday, is an internationally recognized day designed to bolster environmental movements around the world. The parade and South Park Earth Day Celebration will be the most public of a series of environmental-themed events that have taken place in April.
Upcoming Earth Day Events
April 21 - Local foods dinner and panel discussion, 6 p.m. at the Ecumenical Christian Ministries. Local organic greens will accompany a panel discussion with Gary Nabhan, author and ethnobotanist, and Rhonda Janke, professor of horticulture at Kansas State University
April 22 - Earth Day recess, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Stauffer-Flint lawn. Activities such as inflatable games, basketball and frisbee art along with free drinks will be available for students to enjoy the outdoors between classes.
April 22 - Lecture: “Geography of Food Endangerment: Strategies for Renewing America’s Food Traditions”, 7 p.m. in Spooner Hall. Gary Nabhan will speak about endangered foods.
Brian Sifton, Kansas City, Mo., senior and president of KU Environs, said the parade would begin at 11 a.m. from Seventh and Massachusetts streets, and include floats, cars and people walking with signs and banners. Lawrence environmental organizations such as the Sustainability Network and Critical Mass will participate along with the local chapter of the Sierra Club and nonprofit groups such as Van Go Arts.
The parade will end at 11th and Massachusetts streets, in front of South Park.
Immediately following the parade, the 8th annual Lawrence Earth Day Celebration will begin in South Park and last until 4 p.m.
The event, which is sponsored by the City of Lawrence Waste Reduction and Recycling Division, will feature live music, food and exhibits about a wide array of environmental issues, such as alternative fuels, habitat preservation and green gardening.
Cassandra Ford, waste reduction and recycling specialist for the city, said the Earth Day Celebration was geared toward all ages.
“We want to make it fun and educational,” Ford said. “We try to make it as all-inclusive as possible.”
Ford said more than 55 exhibits would be available for visitors to peruse, compared with 34 exhibits last year. She said she expected this year’s Earth Day Celebration to be the largest one in the event’s 8-year-history.
“We’ve covered our environmental bases in terms of who we got to come out,” Ford said. “There should be a topic that just about everyone can relate to.”
While visitors browse the various exhibits, Lawrence radio station Lazer 105.9 FM will broadcast from South Park, followed by live performances from local bands Big Stack Daddy, Uncle Dirty Toes and Edward Grenuo.
Face painting, games and a caricature artist will also be available for families, Ford said.
Saturday’s Earth Day events are free and open to the public.
—Edited by Samuel Lamb
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