Balboa Park will celebrate Earth Day this Sunday with a free environmental fair expected to draw around 60,000 visitors.
The 27th Annual EarthFair will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the San Diego landmark located at 1549 El Prado.
Organizers say more than 400 volunteers will come together to put on the event. Highlights include live music, special theme areas, a zone for children’s activities, a magic shows in front of the Balboa Park Lily Pond, an arts and crafts show, a children’s parade and the “Cleaner Car Concourse,” a display in the Pan American Plaza that will showcase all kinds of vehicles that run on alternative fuels.
More than 300 exhibitors will fill the fair offering all sorts of environmental goods and services. Some exhibitors will also offer education info on topics like conservation, wildlife preservation and organic gardening – essentially everything under the eco-friendly sun.
An “eHome” exhibit area will also showcase the latest in products and technologies to make homes more environmentally sustainable, from energy-efficient appliances to solar electric systems designed to get homeowners off the grid.
The fair will also boast two food pavilions – one in the Plaza de Panama and another on Park & Presidents Way. The food courts will offer unique vegetarian fare and other scrumptious snacks.
By the way, in the true spirit of Earth Day, fair organizers say the event aims to be a “zero-waste” affair, meaning that everything that is thrown away at the event will be either recycled, reused or composted. Last year, 90 percent of waste from the event was diverted from local landfills. Black, blue and green containers will help attendees sort whatever they’re throwing away accordingly.
Local
Between 50,000 and 70,000 people are expected to attend this year’s event. Traffic around Balboa Park will be heavy, so organizers suggest attendees take public transit, shuttles or carpool to get there. Bicycling and walking are other options.
The nearest trolley station – between 11th Avenue and Park Boulevard and C Street and Broadway in downtown San Diego – is about a 10-minute walk from Balboa Park.
The Metropolitan Transit System’s (MTS) Route 7 bus stop will also drop you off near Balboa Park at the corner of 11th Avenue and C Street. A free EarthFair shuttle from the corner of Park and Russ boulevards will take attendees to 6th Avenue and Laurel. From there, just walk over the Cabrillo Bridge and into Balboa Park.
For more EarthFair details, visit the event website.
