EARTH DAY PARTY AT THE GARDEN!

Join us for the 43nd anniversary of Earth Day! The festival is pirate themed this year and is a great way for members of the community to come together and pARRRticipate at the city’s OFFICIAL EARTH DAY PARTY! Our pirates have traveled the world and are here to tell us that we must PROTECT our planet and PLUNDER no more! Thank you to our sponsors:

The City of Decatur, in partnership with the Wylde Center, will be holding its annual Decatur Earth Day Festival (DEDF) on Sunday, April 21, 2013, 1-4 p.m. at the Oakhurst Garden at the corner of Oakview and South McDonough. This celebration of Earth Day is Pirate themed and is a fun and festive way for more than 400 members of the community to come together and pARRRticipate in celebrating the 43rd Anniversary of Earth Day at the city’s OFFICIAL EARTH DAY PARTY. Show your support and like out Face Book Page. The celebration will kick off with a pirate led pARRRade that will go from Harmony Park to the Oakhurst GARRRden site, beginning at 12:30 pm.  We have an exciting array of events planned for children, youth and adults and include, for example:

• FREE Pirate Themed ARRRTS & Crafts for Kids
• Over 40 Vendors
• LIVE Music by the Law and Runedog
• Special Earth Day T-shirt contest
• World Famous Cake Contest (pirated themed of course)
• Recycling services for small electronics and batteries
• And MORE!

Bionew will be providing free recycling services for small electronics and batteries.  Festival attendees may drop off devices like cell phones, cables, GPS units, or other small electronics to be recycled in an environmentally responsible way.  Batteries will also be accepted, with the exception of car or other large batteries.

Decatur Earth Day Festival Schedule

• 12:30pm – Costume Parrrde begins at Harrrmony Parrrk. Led by the Funk Pirates!
• 1:00pm – Earrrth Day Festival begins at the Oakhurst Garrrden
• 1:15pm – Welcome Band
• 1:30pm – Cake Contest Commencement, Earth Day Scavenger Hunt and T-Shirt Contest, and Sally Wylde Award presentation
• 1:45-2:30pm – The Law
• 2:35pm – Announcements
• 2:45-3:30pm -Rune Dog
• 3:45pm – Announcements
• 3:55pm – An Earth Poem by Stephen Wing
• 4pm – End of Festival

More Information

Cake Contest Participants Consider baking an EARRRTH Themed cake for this year’s Cake Contest! Amateur (up to 12th grade) and Professional levels. Drop off between 10 am- 11am on Sunday, April 21 at the Oakhurst Garden’s office, 435 Oakview Road, Decatur, GA 30030. Please download the  form, fill out, and leave with your cake. Bakeries, families, groups, and individuals are welcome to submit. Judging occurs at 1:30 p.m., winners announced at 2:30ish from the stage, and the cakes will be served to the public after judging. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three winners in both categories.

Decatur EARRTH Day Festival Parade Participants The Earrrth Day Parade starts at 12:30 p.m. in Harmony Park in the center of the Oakhurst Business District and ends at the Oakhurst  Garden. Line up will begin at noon. Join the Funk Pirates and decorate your bike, wagon, stroller or yourself!  The 2012 parade had a great turnout, and we think we can top it this year.  We invite dance troops, performers, and anyone who wants to shout ARRR! Its EARRRTH DAY! to join us as we parade down Oakview Rd.  Come decked out in your pirate or sea creature gear!

Music

• THE LAW BAND is a hard rockin’ country act based in the southern music capital of Atlanta, Georgia, with influences of Americana, rockabilly, bluegrass and psychedelic, that appeals to both the rural roughneck and urban artist in us all.
• “RUNEDOG, the music” embodies the core artistic value that: Music can be thought provoking and move your hips at the same time. The genre-defying eclecticism of RUNEDOG’s songwriting and performance draw on Rock, Roots, Jazz, Folk, Funk and more.

Lots of Fun for the Kids

Kids will enjoy the ARRRTS & crafts, scavenger hunts, and festive pirate performers.  A pirate ship will be parked in front of the garden and live birds of prey will be on hand to interact with.

Earth Day T-Shirt Winner!

Last year’s winning artist  was Adie Morton. The Earth Day T shirt will only be available in children’s sizes this year.  The first 100 children may receive a FREE t shirt once the child has participated in and completed the scavenger hunt.  Look for the Wylde Center scavenger hunt table. Scavenger hunt begins at 1:30 pm and is first come, first serve (limited to first 100 participants). Deadline for 2013 Tshirt Design is 3/26. Cash prizes! CLICK HERE for application

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

1. Call for Vendors for Community Pavilion The community pavilion – vendor and education tables – will be interspersed throughout the Garden area and will be conducive to having parents walk through the tables while their children are participating in activities at a table nearby. We are recruiting organizations in the community whose mission may coincide with that of Earth Day Celebrants and who are concerned with environmental stewardship issues. Please contact Gary Garrett, garrett@sseb.org or 404 370 7312 for further information. We are looking to have up to 30 tables so please let us know if you’d like to participate. This should prove to be a very popular event and the spots are likely to fill up fast!!! Contact Gary to get the application if you are interested in your business participating. Deadline is April 5,  5pm.  No exceptions.  AFTER confirmation from Gary you may purchase your booth online by clicking here

• $15 for non-profits includes one table and two chairs
• $40 for vendors selling items, includes one table and two chairs

2. Call for Food Vendors  – All slots have been filled! Our vendors this year will be Atomic Ice Cream Sandwiches, Revolution Doughnuts, Blue Donkey Iced Coffee, King of Pops, and Seven Hens Chicken Schnitzel Sandwiches!

3. Call for Children Craft Providers The DEDF is a family friendly event. Building upon tradition, local artists, organizations, camps, and schools provide free earth day crafts for participating children. Great way to promote your mission! Please plan on providing crafts for 75 children. No vendor fee is necessary for those providing crafts for the children. Space is limited to 15 craft tables. Space is filled by first come, first served. Contact Andrea to reserve your spot, Andrea@wyldecenter.org.

4. Call for Decatur Earth Day Festival Sponsors DEDF seeks sponsors to support this great annual event in which more than 400 people participate. The presenting sponsor will have its business logo included on the back of the festival t-shirt among other benefits. Click here for more information about sponsoring. Deadline for all sponsor commitments is TBA.

5. Call for Decatur Earth Day T-shirt Contest Participants DEDF is having an Earth Day Pirate themed t-shirt design contest. Children in grades K-12 are welcome to submit a design. Designing for a T Shirt could be a classroom exercise or extracurricular fun for any interested artist. A list of prizes and the contest rules are in the attached entry form. Click here to access the submission form. The grand prize entry will be on the 2013 Earth Day Celebration T-Shirt and all entries will be on display at the Decatur Library. The entry deadline is March 26, 5pm and the winners will be notified by April 5.  All entries are due to the Oakhurst Garden, 435 Oakview Road, Decatur, GA 30030 and must have a submission form attached to be included in the contest. Prizes will be awarded at the Earth Day Celebration at the Oakhurst  Garden on April 21 at 1:30. The Oakhurst Garden of the Wylde Center is located at 435 Oakview Road, Decatur, GA 30030. Questions? Contact Andrea@wyldecenter.org.   Submission Form

The City of Decatur Earth Day Festival is proud to be part of the official Earth Day Network.