The massive Santa Barbara oil spill brought environmental safety to the forefront in 1969. The Community Environmental Council will continue that sentiment as it has for each of the past 40 years by hosting this weekend’s Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival.
The event, themed “Powered By the People,” will be from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday in Alameda Park, 1400 Santa Barbara St.
Noozhawk will serve as the official social media and information hub at the festival. “The Hawks Nest” will feature a photo booth from Noozhawk partner Samy’s Camera, and big-screen TVs displaying Noozhawk, Samy’s Camera, Presidio Sports, Santa Barbara Surfer and the official Santa Barbara Earth Day Web site.
A Canon sales representative will take photos of attendees, who can use Twitter to tweet about the festival, update Facebook or visit Noozhawk.com. In exchange for free photo printing at Samy’s, visitors can have their picture taken on a bike provided by The Wheelhouse.
The Hawks Nest will be in the Eco Marketplace, booths 7 and 8, located in an upper corner near Micheltorena Street toward the Anacapa Street side of the park.
“Being environmentally conscious and being a good neighbor is the message we want to spread,” said Richard Pinnock, store manager for Samy’s Camera. “I hope they take away something they can modify their life with. Even if it’s small, I hope they can have less impact on the environment.”
He said ways to do so include implementing self-sufficient gardening practices and supporting local farmers, which would help residents eat healthier and avoid freezing food.
The festival will feature about 250 exhibitors, a free valet bicycle park expected to hold more than 1,000 bikes, and the third annual Green Shorts Film Festival. It will also showcase the 11th Annual Green Car Show, featuring the largest collection of efficient and alternative-fueled vehicles between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The festival theme and the CEC’s Fossil Free By ’33 campaign emphasize the power of daily choices to make Santa Barbara one of the first fossil-free communities in the nation, according to the CEC.
Electricity for the Earth Day Festival is generated from the sun and biodiesel, and MarBorg Industries will divert compostable and recyclable materials from the landfill.
Last year’s festival attracted more than 31,000 visitors.
— Noozhawk staff writer Alex Kacik can be reached at akacik@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Become a fan of Noozhawk on Facebook.