Adults and children of all ages are invited to join the fun as Penn State Shenango holds Earth Fest 2018 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 7, at the campus in downtown Sharon, Pennsylvania.
The event, which offers free admission and is open to the public, will include live music and entertainment, an educational presentation on climate change, children’s activities, a local artists’ market, Penn State Berkey Creamery Ice cream, and information from sustainability-minded local organizations and businesses. Food and coffee from Haitian Sensation, The Bluegrass Kitchen and AVI will be available to purchase.
There will be entertainment throughout the day beginning at 11 a.m. in the Great Hall with a community drum circle. All are welcome, and drums will be provided, or, participants may bring their own drums. At noon and 3 p.m., “Sustainability Songwriter” Musical Mark will bring his interactive performance to the Great Hall stage to entertain and educate listeners of all ages.
At 1:15 p.m. in the Great Hall, Richard Alley from Penn State University Park campus will give a presentation on climate change and its impact on polar ice caps, rising sea levels, and human life. Alley is the Evan Pugh Professor of Geosciences and an Associate of the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute at Penn State. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, chaired the National Research Council's panel on abrupt climate change, and is one of several Penn State earth scientists who are contributors to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which shared the 2007 Nobel Prize with Al Gore.
A variety of activities for children and family members of all ages include solid-liquid-gas-themed activities from the Oh Wow! children’s science center; a “Habitat Room” with crafts and educational activities focusing on the Arctic, courtesy of the Hermitage Schools Green Team, the Shenango River Watchers, Buhl Park, and the Penn State Shenango Staff Advisory Council; and a take-home seed planting activity with the Penn State Shenango Agriculture Club.
Other activities available throughout the day include an eco-friendly local artist’s market and information tables from environmentally-conscious local businesses and organizations. Penn State Shenango’s Student Veterans Club will be hosting a flag drive, and community members are encouraged to bring their worn and tattered American flags to the event for proper disposal. There will be an exhibition of upcycled artwork created by local K-6 school students, with an award ceremony taking place at 2:30 p.m. in the Great Hall. And while you are there, you can stop down in the Great Hall to purchase some famous Penn State Berkey Creamery ice cream!
Earth Fest 2018 is being co-sponsored by WKBN and Fox Television. For a complete schedule of events, or for more information on Earth Fest 2018, contact the Student Affairs office at 724-983-2836 or visit www.facebook.com/PennStateShenangoEarthFest.
