The Burlington County Earth Fair, an all-day event featuring more than 100 eco-friendly vendors and exhibitors, live entertainment, kids’ activities and more is scheduled for Saturday, June 18 from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine, at Historic Smithville Park in Eastampton.
Sponsored by the Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the fair focuses on ways to protect and enjoy the environment. It is expected to draw a crowd of thousands. Parking and admission are free.
The annual Recycling Stop and Drop will be open within a short driving distance of the fair at Smith’s Woods in Eastampton. Have your confidential documents shredded and turn in unwanted computers and televisions at the site from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This year’s theme is “Back to Our Roots” One of the main attractions will again be “The Sustainable Living Tent” showcasing a wide assortment of earth-friendly solutions for the home, including solar panels, green driveways, and energy-saving light bulbs. Visitors will also be able to check out the hybrid cars on display, learn the dos and don’ts of recycling, and stroll through the fair’s “R U GRN” and “EZ 2 B GRN” areas to get tips on backyard composting, water conservation and more. Other “Back to Our Roots” attractions will focus on bee keeping, native plants, urban chickens, beneficial bugs, rain barrels and rain gardens.
“This is one of Burlington County’s showcase events. The Fair promises to be more entertaining and more informative than ever,” Freeholder Director Bruce D. Garganio said. “Come and enjoy a variety of displays and entertainment and find yourself becoming more environmentally savvy as the day goes on.”
Children’s activities will include trash sculpting, papermaking, environmental-themed puppet shows, storytelling, face painting, a 4-H petting zoo, and a Musical “Made from Trash” Playground that will enable kids to have fun with instruments made from recycled materials.
Special “Back to Your Musical Roots” entertainment, including gospel, New Orleans/Cajun, bluegrass, country blues, folk and jazz will be presented on two stages in the park. And the “New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music,” a Smithsonian traveling exhibit sponsored by the New Jersey Council on the Humanities will be on display in the Smithville Mansion Annex Art Gallery.
Throughout the day, visitors will be able to canoe the Rancocas Creek for $15 a canoe, explore the park’s nature trails, and the Historic Smithville Mansion for $3, and tour the Smithville Industrial Village. A variety of food will be for sale and two environmentally-friendly, battery-operated Neuton lawn mowers and a chicken coop will be raffled off. Tickets will cost $1 each and all proceeds will benefit the non-profit Smithville Conservancy.
Historic Smithville Park is located on Smithville Road, three-quarters-of-a mile off Route 38. The Recycling Stop and Drop will be set up at Smith’s Woods, Smithville Road and East Railroad Avenue. Burlington County residents with ID (no businesses or non-profits) may bring up to four bags of boxes of personal files for on-site destruction. In addition, residents may recycle their old computer, laptops, monitors, keyboards, printers, desktop copiers, scanners, fax machines, televisions, VCR and DVD players. Sorry, no other items will be accepted.
For more information, call 265–5858, or go to www.co.burlington.nj.us
EARTH FAIR SCHEDULE
(Subject to change)
Back to Our Roots Performers Stage One
11 a.m.: Capitol City Gospel Singers, a multi-denominational gospel group from Trenton performs sacred songs and spirituals.
Noon: Zydeco-a-Go-Go, a five-piece group specializing in Zydeco, Cajun, and New Orleans rhythm and blues takes the stage. Put on your dancing shoes.
1:30 p.m.: Bad Dogz, a popular Pinelands bluegrass band performs a unique blend of bluegrass and country music.
3 p.m.: Piney Hollow Drifters, an “old timey” band plays music in the old time tradition with old time instruments.
Back to Our Roots Performers Stage Two
11:30 a.m.: John Colgan-Davis, leader of Philadelphia’s legendary Dukes of Destiny plays harmonica and sings the blues with accompaniment by guitarist Richard Ray Adler.
12:30 p.m.: Spook Handy tells America’s story through his own folk songs and songs by artists such as Pete Seeger and Peter, Paul and Mary.
1:30 p.m.: Queen Nur, a nationally-known storyteller along with Dwight Jones and Sarai Abdul-Malik present “Holla’, Shout and Turnabout,” interactive stories with audience participation using washboards, spoons and one-string buckets.
2:30 p.m.: Alvin Jacques Band performs New Orleans jazz.
Especially for Kids
All Day: Musical Playground allows kids of all ages to play musical instruments built from recycled material.
10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.: Tunes for Spoons with Mark Rust invites visitors to make music with spoons.
1 p.m. and 3 p.m.: Earth Capades Environmental Vaudeville group presents “Waste Reduction Production” with juggling, magic, comedy, storytelling and music.
11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.: The Magic of Recycling featuring Magician Bill Kerwood who keeps you laughing, learning and making a difference.
Noon and 2 p.m.: Grand Falloons Professor W’s Earth Science Circus takes us on a unique exploration of our Earth.
Noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.: Back to Our Roots Storytelling at the Gazebo featuring Mary Olgesby.
12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.: Back to Our Ethnic Roots Storytelling at the Gazebo featuring Dorothy Stanatis.
Guided Tours
Noon to 4 p.m.: Tours of the Historic Smithville Mansion ($3/person)
12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.: Tours of the Smithville Industrial Village (Free)
All Day Live Animal Exhibits
Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge
Rancocas Nature Center
12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.: Rizzo’s Reptiles
Bug Lady
4-H Petting Zoo
Alpacas
All Day Fun for Everyone in the Event Tent
R U GRN? — Find out if you’re living a “green” life
EZ 2 B GRN — Learn how easy it is “go green
