Santa Barbara’s Community Environmental Council kicked off its two-day Earth Day celebration this Saturday at Alameda Park.

The event features live music, a green car show, a kids’ corner, a food court, and eco-minded exhibitors.

Festival Director Olivia Sorgman spoke on the offerings the festival has for people wanting to learn more about ways to protect the environment.

“We have over a hundred nonprofits here, so you can get involved whether you care about electric cars or you care about solar energy or you care about growing plants or you care about the ocean,” Sorgman said.

The festival also has something for every age group. For those over 21, there is a beer and wine garden located next to the main stage where people can sip on their beverages while listening to the artist lineup.

For families with younger children, there is a Kids Corner with activities throughout the day, such as face painting, Capoeira classes, and music classes. The festival also has three different stages with programming throughout the day.

The festival is currently in its 55th year and has been put on every year since the first Earth Day in 1970.

“We usually get around 28-30,000 people over the weekend,” Sorgman said.

One exhibitor, the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, offered seeds for both yarrow and California poppies that people could take home with them.

Lily Nunn, a nature educator with the Botanic Garden, explained that giving away seeds is helpful for the environment.

“It’s good that we’re not charging because we want as many flowers out there as possible,” Nunn said.

On the first day, the event was packed full with people checking out the different exhibitors and watching the various performances. Sorgman looked around the crowd while pondering her favorite aspect of the festival.

“I think seeing all the happy faces and seeing the kids get excited about caring about our environment,” she said.