EarthFest 2017 Hits Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds April 22

BEREA, OH - The 28th Annual EarthFest event is returning to the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds on April 22. The event bills itself as Ohio's largest environmental education event and the nation's longest running Earth Day celebration.

Saturday, April 22, could prove to be a historically focused science day for the Northeast Ohio region. Besides Earth Fest, the March for Science in downtown Cleveland will also be taking place that day. Scott Sanders, the executive director of EarthFest, says the two events are collaborating to provide a day full of protest and programming.

The March for Science is slated to run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. EarthFest will be at the Fairgrounds from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Currently, the March for Science in Cleveland has 3,200 confirmed attendees on Facebook, and another 8,800 who say they are interested in attending.

"We’re expecting about 10,000 people, so it’s a hard event to just pick up and move. The March's organizers' desire is to be part of the EarthFest event," Sanders told Patch. "Our best plan was to go ahead and have them start early and then have their folks come down to the Fairgrounds."

While previous EarthFests have drawn about 10,000 people, Sanders said there is a possibility of much higher turnout for this year's event.

"We’re expecting a renewed interest, particularly with the political situation. A lot of people are worried there could be rollbacks of environmental protections and want to know what they can do to help," he said.

This year's theme, developed in partnership with Sustainable Cleveland, is Vibrant Green Space. Sanders says there will be teach-ins and workshops focused on that theme, including sessions on tree maintenance and climate change. There will also be a tree giveaway and planting ceremony.

In total, Sanders estimates there will be about 2,500 trees given away to attendees. There will also be amusement park rides, concerts, workshops on political activism, and more during the 2017 EarthFest.

There will also be food trucks, a poetry reading contest, and a display featuring green spaces of the future. The EarthFest Coalition website says there will be more than 270 exhibitors spread throughout the Fairgrounds, workshops and teach-ins, urban farm animals, pony rides, music on four different stages, and other events throughout the day.

Admission is $8 for everyone 12 and up. Admission is $4 for children 2-11, and children under 2 get in for free. There are three fun ways to get into EarthFest for free. First, ride a bicycle to the event. If you ride a bike to the Fairgrounds, your admission is free. Second, ride the RTA Red Line and get in for free. Third, dress like a tree and you'll get in for free.

You can find more information on the event by clicking here.

Photo from Pixabay