The City of Decatur and the Wylde Center Will Host a Community-Wide Earth Day Festival at Oakhurst Garden Sunday, April 19

The City of Decatur, in partnership with the Wylde Center, will celebrate Earth Day with a family-friendly festival Sunday, April 19 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Oakhurst Garden, 435 Oakview Road in Decatur. This year, the theme of the celebration is “garden gnomes”, with games, arts and crafts and decorations celebrating everyone’s favorite mythical garden residents. Participants will enjoy music, a costume contest, bicycle ride, yoga, craft activities, scavenger hunts and performances by local artists. The festival is free, although there is a charge for refreshments. www.wyldecenter.org/decatur-earth-day-festival/. It’s sponsored by Decatur Business Association and the Waldorf School of Atlanta, and will be held rain or shine.

“Gnomes are known as mythical creatures who inhabit natural areas,” said Stephanie Van Parys, executive director of the Wylde Center. “Kids love them because gnomes are small like they are, and often mischievous. We’ll call on our gnome friends to help us spread the word during our Earth Day celebration about making the earth a beautiful place to live by gardening, caring for the animals that share the world with us, and recycling.”

A family-friendly bicycle ride led by Decatur Bikes will begin at 11 a.m. at Harmony Park. Participants must bring their own bicycles and helmets are required. Also at 11 a.m., Sarah Cavrak will lead a yoga class at Sugar Creek Garden (415 East Lake Dr, Decatur, GA 30030). Participants should bring their own yoga mat.

Additional Earth Day activities will include:
• Live music by MoRhythm and Scene of the Crime
• Free arts and crafts activities
• A gnome-themed costume contest
• Information booths staffed by environmental organizations
• Live Reptile Exhibit by Southeastern Snake Rescue
• Refreshments and T-shirts for sale
• Awarding a prize for the best t-shirt design
• Performances
• Scavenger hunts (with a free T-shirt for the first 100 kids to complete the hunt)

According to www.earthday.org, Earth Day is the largest civic event in the world, celebrated on or around April 22 by people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities. Founded in 1970, the movement promotes year-round environmental awareness and action.

About the Wylde Center

In 1997, an idea took root in the Oakhurst area of Decatur, Ga. Neighbors Sally Wylde and Louise Jackson envisioned a community garden where children could learn about the natural world and enjoy hands-on gardening activities. With the purchase of a half-acre of property at the corner of South McDonough St. and Oakview Road, the Oakhurst Community Garden was born. Today, supported by members, foundations, corporations and donors, the non-profit has been re-named the Wylde Center to honor its co-founder and to better encompass its expanded range of properties and programs. The Wylde Center oversees four distinctive greenspaces, a year-round educational program for all ages, social events and the Decatur City Schools’ Farm to School Program. Staff and volunteers engage children, families and individuals in activities designed to develop creative skills in sustainable urban living, organic gardening, health and nutrition. Despite its robust growth, the Wylde Center has stayed true to its original mission of cultivating vibrant greenspaces for everyone to enjoy and inspiring communities of environmental stewards. www.wyldecenter.org