Earth Festival is This Weekend at Milford Central School

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In 2011, OCCA Board member Tier French entertained and educated Earth Festival visitors as the ChicoBag™ Bag Monster®. The costume was used to illustrate the impact of single-use plastic bags.

MILFORD, NY (04/11/2012)(readMedia)-- This Saturday, April 14 at Milford Central School, Earth Festival 2012 will feature several new attractions as well as many old favorites. At the same location and in conjunction with Earth Festival, the Master Gardeners of Cornell Cooperative Extension Schoharie and Otsego Counties are hosting Spring Garden Day, which kicks off at 9 a.m. with a free presentation by The Fabulous Beekman Boys.

In the spirit of reuse, re-gift, and recycle, community members are invited for the first time to sell gently used household goods, clothing, books, toys, crafts, and small furniture pieces at the Earth Festival Spring Cleaning Sale and Swap, to be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the small gymnasium. Individuals, families and service organizations are all welcome to participate in the sale. Tables/spaces are available to rent for $10 each and pre-registration by Thursday, April 12 is required.

A special feature of this event will be the Spring Swap Table, where everyone – whether tag sale participant or Earth Festival attendee – is invited to donate one item between 9 a.m. and noon and then may revisit the table after noon, if they like, to select an item in return. Unclaimed Spring Swap merchandise will be donated to the Otsego County Conservation Association for its "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" Garage Sale later in the month. Upon special arrangement, unsold tag sale merchandise may also be donated to OCCA.

"The Spring Swap Table is new this year," said Otsego County Conservation Association Executive Director Darla M. Youngs. "Many thanks to Lori Solensten for this idea – it's a great way to give new life to unused items."

The Fabulous Beekman Boys – Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Dr. Brent Ridge – will kick off Spring Garden Day with a presentation on heirloom seeds, which is free and open to the public. There is a fee for the Spring Garden Day workshops which follow, and pre-registration is required. For more information, visit http://occainfo.org/documents/SpringGardenDayflyerwBeekmans.pdf.

The traditional Earth Festival information and vendor fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the gymnasium. More than 30 exhibitors and vendors have registered to attend, including: ADK Susquehanna, Andela Products, A-riginal Art, Articulated Skeletons by Sy Lloyd, Black Cloud Chimney Sweeps, CNR Energy Solutions, Citizens Energy and Economic Council of Delaware County, Cooperstown Farmers' Market, Cornell Cooperative Extension Delaware County, Cornell Cooperative Extension Schoharie and Otsego Counties Master Gardeners, Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society, Enviro Energy LLC, Equity Energy, F&M Concrete Castings, Farm Service Agency, Friends of Glimmerglass State Park, Gilson's Native American Crafts, Great Brook Solar NRG LLC, Hanford Mills Museum, Healthy By Design, Heirloom Café, Lions Club of Cooperstown, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Otsego County Conservation Association, Otsego County Soil & Water Conservation District, Otsego Express Public Transportation System, Otsego Lake Association, Otsego Land Trust, Otsego Regional Cycling Advocates, Otsego 2000, Pine Lake Institute for Environmental and Sustainability Studies, Schenevus Go Getters 4H Club, and Whistlestop Kettle Korn.

"Alternative energy solutions and energy conservation are a big part of our program each year," Youngs said. "Many of last year's vendors are returning, and we have a number of new exhibitors who look forward to talking with the public on these and other issues."

Recycling continues to be a major Earth Festival focus. Styrofoam (clean, white only), bubble wrap, empty inkjet cartridges, old cell phones, unwanted videotapes and CDs, and used nylon monofilament fishing line will be accepted at no charge. Empire Recycling returns this year with the Confidata Shredder, offering free, confidential document shredding from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Other event highlights include a Cooperstown Farmers' Market Mobile Market, the EcoArt/Trendy Trash Contest, music by the Stoddard Hollow String Band from noon to 2 p.m., a pre-festival bird walk sponsored by the Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society and festival food by Origins Café. The Milford Environmental Club will lead a number of children's activities, including face painting and a tutorial on planting and growing seeds.

"Kids who bring an old T-shirt can learn how to make a reusable bag," added Youngs.

Co-sponsored by OCCA and WildLearn.com, Earth Festival is an environmentally-focused, interactive, free event featuring exhibits, activities, vendors and entertainment, all with a fun, earth-friendly twist. For a complete Earth Festival itinerary, look for "Earth Festival 2012" on the OCCA home page, www.occainfo.org.

Photo caption: In 2011, OCCA Board member Tier French entertained and educated Earth Festival visitors as the ChicoBag™ Bag Monster®. The costume was used to illustrate the impact single-use plastic bags have on our environment. A crowd of about 800 people enjoyed last year's event at Milford Central School.