Alameda Park in downtown Santa Barbara hosted the community’s annual Earth Day Festival over the weekend.

“Earth Day is part of this community’s identity,” said Sigrid Wright, CEO and executive director of the Community Environmental Council.

“Santa Barbara thinks of itself as Summer Solstice and Earth Day, which is not typical for other communities.”

The festival was held April 27 and 28 at the park, where it’s been held since 2009.

This year’s theme was “Planet vs. Plastics,” and the CEC focused on promoting business and organizations that reduce plastic waste.

Some of these business included Blue Planet Eco-Eyewear and Fleks Footwear, which use alternative materials to create fun glasses and shoes, respectively.

“We’ve had (plastic-free) policies before, but this year is seemed really relevant,” festival director Kathi King said. “It ties in with a lot of the exhibitors this year.”

Alejandra Warren, co-founder and executive director of Plastic Free Future, was awarded this year’s Environmental Hero Award for her work on sustainability.

“There are a lot of people, a lot of country delegates and members of high, important charges saying that they’re trying to make a difference,” Warren said.

“But I noticed the difference comes from us, we are the difference.”

The green car show displayed clean vehicles from Nissan, Tesla, Lucid and Rivian. The attendees could learn more about clean fuel alternatives and test-drive the cars on nearby streets.

An unusual vehicle at the car show was Virginia Benson Wigle’s bright pink “Talk-o-Truck,” a mobile recording studio where people can enter to share their stories.

The truck usually invites people to speak about anything, but in honor of Earth Day, attendees were asked to speak on their thoughts about climate change.

“I thought this is perfect to be able to bring to people, because it’s hard for people to get motivated to tell their story, and everyone wants to tell their story,” Wigle said.

The festival was full of educational activities and workshops for children. The kids’ stage in Kids Corner held a gardening workshop, dance parties and wand-making.

The stage also was the setting for the Kids Environmental Hero Awards, at which children from various local schools were honored for doing their part for sustainability.

The festival beer garden provided a place to sit and enjoy live music on the main stage. The beer garden sold local alcoholic beverages such as 805 Beer, June Shine Hard Kombucha, and wines from Brander Winery & Vineyard. Drinks were distributed in zero-waste cups provided by the r.Cup system.

In addition to the beer garden was the plant-forward food court that offered an assortment of cuisine from pizza to Himalayan food. The area created a friendly atmosphere for people to come together.

“I’ve heard stories of people who have met on Earth Day, or the festival was their first date and they come back year after year,” Wright said.

“So again, it’s more than a festival, it’s part of how the community sees itself.”

This year marked the festival’s 54th anniversary, and while the community awaits next year’s events, the CEC will continue to work toward a resilient future.

“People feel very connected to the environment in Santa Barbara,” King said. “We feel very close to Earth Day itself, and understanding that every day is Earth Day, but also providing the community with an opportunity to come together and connect with groups that are doing great work.”