CELEBRATE EARTH DAY ALL WEEKEND IN SANTA BARBARA

The Santa Barbara's Community Environmental Council (CEC) 2012 Earth Day Festival will be held at Alameda Park Saturday, April 21 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 22, 2012 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. This years theme is, “Mobilize,” and it will capture the power of grassroots action in protecting and preserving the environment.

The two-day, Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival is free and will feature more than 250 exhibitors – some selling goods and services in the EcoMarketplace, others promoting their cause in the Activist Square. The Earth Day Festival in Santa Barbara is an anuual event that started in 1970, on the very first Earth Day.

Click HERE for the schedule of activities and entertainment for the festival.

Widely acknowledged as the birthplace of Earth Day, Santa Barbara’s longstanding environmental reputation attracts national media and celebrity attention. The Community Environmental Council (CEC) that organizes and oversee's  the festival  has become the premier opportunity to showcase the latest in green technology and lifestyle solutions to the environmentally savvy residents of California’s Central Coast.

Highlights of the Community Environmental Council’s 2012 Earth Day Festival:

• A vibrant Bike World, with free bike tune-ups, a bike-powered mini-stage, and free valet bike parking. (More than 1,000 people valet parked their bike in 2011). In addition, a 100-mile bike ride organized by Evolution of Man will end at the festival on Sunday, April 23.

• The annual Green Car Show – featuring the largest collection of efficient and alternative fueled vehicles between Los Angeles and San Francisco and the longest-running show of its kind in the country. In addition, festival goers can participate in free Ride & Drives in the latest electric vehicles and hybrids. (More than 500 people participated in a Ride & Drive in 2011). Also, a working Solar Carport will showcase how some local residents are generating solar electricity by day and charging their electric vehicles at night, effectively driving on sunshine.

• Two full days of music on the Main Stage, organized by New Noise Media Group. The headlining band will be announced on Tuesday, March 20.

• Local, organic food booths and a Beer & Wine Garden.

• A Kid’s Corner organized by LearningDen Preschool, with arts & crafts, musical performances, storytelling, face painting, and play equipment that uses the boundless energy of children to recharge electrical batteries.

• Celebrity appearances. Recent festivals have included stage appearances by Director James Cameron, actress Daryl Hannah, and Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk – all who were awarded the annual Environmental Hero award.

“Santa Barbara has a long legacy with Earth Day. In fact, this festival is one of the longest running, consistently held, community organized Earth Day celebrations in the country – and one of the largest on the West Coast,” said Sigrid Wright, Associate Director of CEC. “More people are attending now than ever before, and the solutions that people are talking about are increasingly sophisticated. When I see how Earth Day has grown and continues to grow – even after 40 years – it says to me that we need this opportunity to gather with other people who care about the environment, to share stories and ideas, to enjoy food and music together, and to take inspiration for ways we can create a healthier lifestyle.”

For more information about Earth Day: go to www.SBEarthDay.org .