Newtown’s 12th annual Earth Day Festival and celebration will take place on Saturday, April 27, touting “awareness, smiles, and education,” according to [naviga:u]newtownearthday.org[/naviga:u].

Events will again take place at Newtown Middle School on Queen Street, from 10 am to 4 pm.

Earth Day Committee Chairman Dan Holmes said, “It’s a good celebration of local and not-so-local companies helping with the environment and learning to live a little more green.”

The day is a way to “support the organizations that do so much for our town,” Mr Holmes said. Some of those groups include Newtown Forest Association, Conservation Commission, Protect Our Pollinators, The Pootatuck Watershed Association, Trout Unlimited, garden clubs, civic groups, the Parks and Recreation Commission, volunteer organizations, local businesses and individuals, and others.

“There are so many groups in town that are working throughout the year” to benefit the town, Mr Holmes said. Earth day “is a celebration and a chance for those groups to get their messages out, and guests can find a place to contribute volunteer efforts.”

Looking forward to April 27, he said, “Pray for good weather.”

Mr Holmes and Earth Day coordinators are “excited again this year” for the annual festival.

Thinking back to when the Earth Day festivities started, Mr Holmes said, “The whole thing started with a few friends talking about it, and now it has grown.”

The day “pulls together so many local organizations from town and businesses.” It started with “just an idea among friends and now is a large network, and we have a great time the day of.”

The following activities will take place:

*face painting;

*Tie-dying T-shirts & making eco-crafts;

*Makingyour own seed balls and pottings;

*Creating pinecone bird feeders with Pondview inspections;

*Building bird houses with Ben Toby;

*Learning about composting & gardening fun;

*Learning how to knit with Nicole Christensen;

*Getting a bike safety check with Sandy Hook Cycle; and

*Learning from members of the Sustainable Energy Commision how to save money.

The day will includes a vendor fair with offerings from “green” merchants to school clubs and town associations.

As for Earth Days to come, Mr Holmes said, “We are looking forward to keeping this going for future generations.”

Annual Scholarship

His committee also annually offers an earth day scholarship, “and we do that happily every year,” Mr Holmes said. The day includes a silent auction to help raise additional funds to support the Newtown High School scholarship.

“This has been a great success, with packages from various restaurants, local artists, and numerous businesses,” according to the website.

The Newtown Earth Day Festival Committee — Mr Holmes and Brad Paynter — met with Newtown Scholarship Association (NSA) Vice President John Morlock on February 22 to deliver a donation of $2,000 toward “green scholarship” funds that will further support a student or students pursuing a degree related to forestry/environmental sciences.

NSA annually provides scholarship awards to graduating high school seniors living in Newtown who plan to continue their education after graduation.

Scholarships are awarded to applicants who meet the criteria of the organization. Deadline for this year's applications was April 1.

A Call For Volunteers

According to [naviga:u]the festival's website[/naviga:u], “Each year, the festival grows bigger and touches more people in our community.” Organizers seek residents with “extra time” or a “special skill that can help. Consider offering up some of your time.”

Contact [naviga:u]info@newtownearthday.org[/naviga:u] to volunteer.

Volunteers are needed for festival support at the following times:

Friday Afternoon Event Setup, 5 to 7 pm — four people, with “strong backs to arrange tables and chairs, as well as lift things up and put them down,” as stated at the website.

Saturday Morning Event Setup, 7 to 10 am — four people — “Traffic control and general bodies needed for this role.”

Vendor Registration, T-Shirt Sales, Silent Auction Support, 7 am to 4 pm — two people. “Initially help our team check-in vendors, but as the festival gets started, you switch over to T-shirt sales and auction support.”

Children’s Activity Volunteers, 8 am to 4 pm — three people. “Can you herd cats? Like arts and crafts? This is the job for you!”

Water Station, 8 am to 4 pm — two people. “Refill bottles and learn a bit about the wet stuff.”

Festival Break-Down & Clean-Up, 3:30 to 6 pm — four people. Lifting is required.

The festival’s financial support “is mostly” Aquarion Water Company and Iroquois Gas, Mr Holmes said. Major event sponsors also include Alpha Graphics, Associated Refuse Haulers, Bye Bye Mattress, Housatonic Valley Waldorf School, Iroquois Gas, Lions Club International, Natural Awakenings, Newtown Parks & Recreation Department, and Rankin Textile Printing.

By The Hour

The 12th Annual Earth Day Festival offers a full day of action, “from tons of kids’ activities, live music, a Birds of Prey Exhibit, and tasty food to our vendor fair, silent auction, and the Lions Club ‘Lose the Litter,’ it’s a memorable day for the whole community,” as stated on [naviga:u]the festival's website[/naviga:u].

9 am to 1 pm — Lions Club “Lose the Litter.”

Join friends and neighbors to help clean up Newtown’s streets and “tackle the trash.” The website states, “Wake up early” and meet at the Middle School. Garbage bags, gloves, and other supplies will be provided. To learn more or volunteer contact Glenn Nanavaty at 203-426-2116.

10 am — Introduction by State Representatioe Mitch Bolinsky.

10:10 am — National anthem.

10:30 am — Live music by Newtown’s own Big Fang (“Power Pop from One Fang to Another,” [naviga:u]facebook.com/bigfangband[/naviga:u]).

10:30 am — Birds of Prey.

Attendees can meet hawks and owls up close and personal. Hurt in the wild and now cared for by Sharon Audubon, these magnificent birds are the ambassadors for their species. It is a great opportunity to learn about these aviators and the Audubon’s work in rehabbing and releasing them.

11:30 am — Live music by Split Decision, a four-piece band with an “awesome rhythm section, ripping guitar leads, and ‘wow’ lead vocals” (splitdecision.org).

12:30 pm — Comments from First Selectman Dan Rosenthal.

1 pm — Live music by Neverland String Band.

Cadence Carroll, Bill Burton, and Jessup Burton “are excited to be returning to Newtown’s Earth Day Celebration. Known for their matching T-shirts and (somewhat matching) DNA, they will delight you with their family-friendly songs that celebrate our wonderful planet. Bring the kids and sing along!”

2 pm — Live music by BowTie Fridays.

“A dapper synthpop band originating from Long Island. High energy performers excited to release their new EP this summer” ([naviga:u]facebook.com/bowtiefridaysmusic)[/naviga:u].

3 pm — Live music by The Red Hots.

“A modern day little big band playing everything from the 1920s to today — if you like hot jazz, old blues, ragtime, rockabilly, and everything in between, you’ll love the swingin’ sounds of The Red Hots,” ([naviga:u]facebook.com/wearetheredhots[/naviga:u]).

Ongoing All Day: As stated on the website, “An abundance of lunch options, tasty snacks, and great beverages,” will offer “plenty of options” for everyone. Newtown’s 12th Annual Earth Day Festival is the one place to learn how “easy it is to be green!”