Newton Arboretum and the city parks will host family-friendly Earth Day Fair

Apr. 21—Families are invited to attend the second annual Earth Day Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 22 at the Newton Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, 3000 N. Fourth Ave. E. In addition to having food trucks on standby, there will also be a bevy of green crafts for kids and eco-conscious vendors available.

Organized by the City of Newton's parks and recreation staff and board members of Project AWAKE, the fair is going all out to get people to the arboretum and celebrate the environmentally friendly holiday. Keeping families entertained is a big priority, but so is educating them on the importance of preserving the environment.

Teresa Lyman, a board member of Project AWAKE, said vendor Gregg Young will have an electric car on display, seed bombs will be provided to guests and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources will be available to give away free trees to people. Lyman is also just excited to get families outside to enjoy Earth Day.

Other vendors include Eagle Point Solar, Baxter Comfort Solutions, ISU Extension & Outreach, Newton Public Library, Mattingly's Music, Marilyn's Hallmark, Dodd's Trash Hauling & Recycling, Farmhouse Creations, Mojos Cycling and Iowa Monarch. Kiki's and Sea Turtle Ice Cream will also be there.

Sidewalk chalk contests and tree planting demonstrations will be available, too. Having the event at the arboretum is appropriate, and Lyman said it will get more people in tune with the environment and wanting to learn more about all the trees, flowers and greenery on display at the arboretum.

"There are walking paths and it's a great place to get some fresh air and walk," Lyman said in an interview with Newton Daily News. "We hope to have a lot of people and have more exposure to the people of Newton and the surrounding areas. And we just want people to come out and enjoy the arboretum, too."

Victoria Jordan, parks recreation specialist for the City of Newton, hopes the event will educate people about the different things they can do to help their community and their planet. As a member of the parks and rec staff, Jordan sees a lot of trash accumulate at parks. She hopes an event like this can change that.

"I know people love our parks, and I want to promote 'Hey, let's take care of our parks and let's bring beauty to our parks,' and 'Here is some other stuff you can do to help not only you but the wildlife and community as a whole,'" Jordan said. "We're looking forward to people coming out and being excited about it all."

Visitors attending the event are encouraged to park in the gravel parking lots near the softball fields of Agnes Patterson Park.