The Louisiana Earth Day celebration, one of the nation’s largest environmental festivals, will take place April 17 in downtown Baton Rouge from noon until 8:30 p.m. The theme for this year’s festival, “This Land is Our Land,” stresses the importance of individual and corporate stewardship. The celebration will feature creative exhibits and educational activities from noon until 5 p.m. Sunday. More than 400 volunteers will be on hand to educate and inspire festival-goers on how they can “Go Green” at home and at work. The festival will also feature plenty of regional music and food, providing a chance for all ages to celebrate the unique beauty of our state.
“The Louisiana Earth Day festival is one of the largest environmental festivals in the country, and is focused on our state’s love of Louisiana and the need to preserve our environment for future generations,” said Mayor-President Melvin L. “Kip” Holden. “Baton Rouge is pleased to welcome families from across the state to our city to learn more about the importance of citizen environmental leadership,” he continued.
This year’s music lineup includes the Bucktown All-Stars, Wet Willie, Paul Daigle and Cajun Gold, and Rockin Dopsie Jr. and the Zydeco Twisters. A special “Earth Arts” stage will feature painted rolling recycling carts, the Greater Baton Rouge Drum Corps and Dancettes, LSU Performing Arts Academy, Episcopal High School’s ‘Recycled Music’, and performances by ‘Of Moving Colors’, Baton Rouge Belly Dance, and Big Buddy WordPlay poetry and dance groups.
Stage lineups are as follows:
Earth Stage
1:30-2:30 Michael Foster Project
3:00 – 4:30 Bucktown All-Stars
5:00 – 6:30 Wet Willie
7:00 – 8:30 Rockin’ Dopsie Jr & The Zydeco Twisters
Earth Arts Stage
12:00 – 12:30 The Greater Baton Rouge Drum Corps and Dancettes
12:30 – 12:45 Art Carts on Parade – Presented by The Recycling Foundation
12:45 – 1:15 The Golden Trash Band from Episcopal Land presented by Episcopal High School
1:30 – 1:45 LSU Performing Arts Academy presented by WRKF
2:00 – 2:30 ‘Of Moving Colors’ Repertory in honor of National Dance Week
2:30 – 3:00 Heifer Int’l Mother Earth Dancers
3:30 – 5:00 Big Buddy WordPlay Poetry and Dance
Louisiana/Sunday in the Park Stage
12:00 – 3:00 Beausoleil (Thanks to Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge)
3:30 – 5:00 Paul Daigle and Cajun Gold
5:30 – 7:30 Horace Trahan and Ossun Express
Playmakers Planet Puzzle
2:00 – 3:00 2nd Floor Old State Capitol
In addition to returning activities such as Earth for Children, Wetlands Tent, Recycle Fair, Louisiana Sustainability Pavilion, Southern University exhibits, Learning through the Arts, and Earth Friendly Habitat, several new features are highlighted below:
Art Carts on Parade
The Recycling Foundation of Baton Rouge, in partnership with the LA Earth Day Festival, is pleased to present “ART CARTS ON PARADE”, an exciting display of earth-loving inspired art. Designed an embellished by local artists, both professional and students, these 96-gallon Toter Carts turns “trash” into works of art! Special thanks to local artists TJ Black, Alex Harvie, Mark Nikoff and Foundation N artists, Jade Brady and many, many other generous professionals for contributing their inspiration on our rolling “canvas”. Also enjoy amazing creations presented by Baton Rouge area schools: Episcopal High School, The Dunham School, Baton Rouge Magnet High School,Parkview Baptist, Dalton Elementary and Lanier Elementary.
Earth Day Graphics by Artist Rhea Gary
The art this year, donated by Louisiana artist Rhea Gary, highlights the beauty of our state and the importance of preserving that beauty for future generations. Her Louisiana marsh painting will be featured on posters, tote bags, and tee shirts.
BRASS Velo Vert Bike Ride
Sunday, April 17 – starts, 9 a.m., from LA House, 2858 Gourrier Avenue, between Nicholson Drive and River Road, adjacent the LSU golf course (near the intersection of Nicholson Drive and Burbank Drive—http://mapq.st/hRdsUl) to other earth friendly sites ultimately ending at the BRASS Bike Corral at Louisiana Earth Day celebration downtown. Register the morning of the ride. Contact Hallie Dozier at (225) 281.3264 or Mark E. Martin at (225) 892.3059 for more information.
Playmakers Planet Puzzle
Playmakers will present “Planet Puzzle!” This original musical written by New Orleans playwright Morrey McElroy and Baton Rouge composer Terry Byars introduces young audiences to basic concepts of ecology through fun and entertaining characters. The play will be performed at The Old State Capitol on Earth Day at 2:00 p.m. For more information contact Todd Henry at todd@playmakers.net.
Louisiana Earth Day, Inc., a 501(c)3 organization, is produced by a community coalition of hundreds of volunteers that include numerous sponsors and organizations representing government, business and industry, educators, and not-for-profit groups.
For a complete event listing, map and music schedule, visit www.laearthday.org.
