Earth Day may have come and passed, but it’s never too late to get out and celebrate the planet we call home. Hope Community Services is hosting their second annual Earth Day Children’s Festival in Memorial Park on April 26.
“The vision was to create an annual event for young families to (help them) truly feel the message, ‘It takes a village to raise a child,'” said Acacia Martin, a coordinator for Hope Community Services, and the event’s creator.
“I developed (the idea) to generate interest and connection for our Early Years and literacy community partners,” Martin explained. “Last year’s inaugural event was incredibly successful and we (wanted to continue) building on that success by adding more partners and activities for this year’s event.”
Partnering with more than two dozen community stakeholders, Martin says this year’s Festival will provide an opportunity for the entire community to “get out and celebrate spring, shake the rust off, get re-energized … (and) dream a little. Our message (this year) is, ‘We are all in this together, our Earth and our young—our greatest treasures.'”
From 10 a.m. til 1 p.m., on Friday April 26, the second annual Earth Day Children’s Festival will take over Memorial Park in downtown Hope.
“Special guests from Chawathil First Nation will do a traditional welcome and blessing ceremony,” Martin added. And in addition to the barbecue sockeye salmon and bannock that will be served throughout the event, the Ta Daa Lady will also be in attendance.
An arts educator and entertainment aficionado, Angela Brown, a.k.a. the Ta Daa Lady, will delight audiences of all ages with her Nylon Zoo, which comprises a variety of inflatable sculptures that are used to create an engaging experience for everyone. In keeping with the Festival’s theme, Brown’s performances will explore environmentally sensitive themes that will create enchantment and awareness around issues like zero waste and endangered species.
“The community of Hope has (so) many exceptional people and organizations who are passionate about supporting families with young children,” and that will really be demonstrated at this event, said Martin.
The event is free for all to attend. For more information about Hope Community Services, please visit their website at DoSomeGood.ca/organization/Hope-Community-Services-348486.
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