Ecofest, the popular annual event from the Arlington Parks and Recreation Department, will be taking over the heart of the American Dream City on Saturday, Sept. 19, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Conservation groups and local businesses offering practical green products and services will line the streets around Founders Plaza (100 W. Abram Street), along with booths full of entertaining and educational activities for kids.
The annual community-building event aims to stimulate environmental awareness and promote stewardship across North Texas. Visitors can expect to learn about do-it-yourself projects to reduce consumption of natural resources through demonstrations and classes.
In the spirit of Ecofest, event planners are aiming for a zero-waste event. Recycling stations will be set up around the streets, and vendors are required to use only materials that fit the recycling and composting guidelines.
Here are just a few things visitors can enjoy at Ecofest Arlington.
Eco Classes: Starting at noon, experts will be educating visitors about a variety of lawn and garden topics, such as managing turf in a drought, efficient irrigation, composting and vegetable gardening.
Free Trees: The Arlington Parks and Recreation Department will be handing out 2,000 trees beginning at 10 a.m. on a first-come-first-served basis. There is a limit of two trees per household. You can register online to help speed the "in-line" process on Saturday but it does not guarantee you a tree, as no trees are held even with pre-event registration.
Bike Safety Town: Certified instructors from the League of American Bicyclists will be teaching children about proper signaling, yielding and starting from a full stop from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Kids can bring their bicycles and helmets to take a ride on the closed-loop streetscape.
Music: At 6:30 p.m. the soulful Chris Watson band will take the Levitt Pavilion stage, followed by the inventive rock band Somebody's Darling at 8 p.m.
For more details and an event map, visit naturallyfun.org/ecofest.
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