Earth Day 2009 at the Oak Ridge Civic Center

The public is invited to celebrate Earth Day 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, April 25, at Bissell Park in Oak Ridge. This community celebration is free, educational, and family-friendly, with over 100 exhibitors -- businesses, civic and environmental organizations, churches, educational institutions, and government agencies -- providing booths with information, activities, and products to help attendees identify and act on ways to reduce their impact on the planet. Visit www.orearthday.org for more information.

Earth Day 2009 is designed to be zero-waste, incorporating waste minimization in the planning, with all trash to be recycled or composted to the extent possible. Exhibitors are reducing waste by limiting handouts and disposable fare, and food vendors are using only compostable food service items.

The festival includes an extensive children's area, providing fun and educational family-oriented activities, including numerous animal encounters, disc golf, a climbing wall, tree climbing, face painting, pre-school-friendly games and activities, storytellers, and teaching booths. Pan Walker will be performing magic throughout the day. Vendors will also be on hand selling green products, local produce, native plants, and nature-based arts and crafts. Festival attendees are encouraged to come prepared with tote bags, refillable water bottles, picnic blankets and cameras!

New for 2009 is the Anderson County Visions Fun Run/Walk for children from kindergarten through fourth grade (registration at 11 at the Hippie Bus, with the run at 2 pm, and free t-shirts for the first 150 participants). Also new this year is an expanded musical offering, now with two venues -- the Main Stage, and the Earth Lounge (a coffee-house style acoustic venue).

Performance schedule for The Main Stage (subject to change) is:
Randall Brown (MC)
Frost Bottom Boys (11 :00 - 11:45)
Lonesome Coyotes (12:00 - 1:15)
The Bearded (1:30 - 2:30)
Tenderhooks (12:55 - 1:45)
Yun's (3:55-4:45)
RB Morris and the Irregulars (4:55-6:00)

Performance schedule for the Earth Lounge is:
Vacationist League (11:45 - 12:40)
Johnson Swingtet (12:55 - 1:45)
Carl Snow's Summer of Love (2-2:50 pm)
Todd Steed and the Mini Suns of Phere (3-4 pm).

On the day of the festival, the Civic Center, library, and library drop-off will all be open for regular business. Civic Center parking is designated for those uses, and ample parking is available at the mall. Festival attendees who have driven are encouraged to park at nearby lots and walk to the venue. Although the Civic Center will be open, entry and exit traffic flow will be altered, with entry at the western entrance, one-way traffic (and no parking) on the access road adjacent to the turnpike running west to east, and exit via the eastern entrance.

Earth Day 2009 is a production of East Tennessee Earth Alliance and WDVX Radio. ETEA and WDVX gratefully acknowledge the financial and in-kind sponsorship provided by sponsors – who have donated money, services, materials, and time to make this event a success.

The sponsors of Earth Day 2009 include:
The Mighty Oak ($2500 - $5000 financial and in-kind):
City of Oak Ridge, Sustainable Future, Camel Sign and Awning, Waste Connections, First United Methodist Church, Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church

Sapling ($1000 - $2499 financial and in-kind):
UT Battelle, Anderson County Visions, Echota Beverage, EnergySolutions, Sprint/Nextel

Sprout ($500 - $999 financial and in-kind):
USEC, Noble Metals, Alcoa, AMSE, Oak Ridge Observer, Bechtel National, Inc., Moms for Earth Day

Acorn (up to $500 financial and in-kind):
Arcadis, Galbraith Laboratories, Inc., Spectra Tech, Y-12 Federal Credit Union