Earth Day
The 40th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22 deserves a celebration, so take part in your local Earth Day events. If you’re in the Spring Grove, Pennsylvania, area, celebrate a little early by visiting Sonnewald Nature Foods for their celebration April 19. From 11 to 4, Sonnewald’s will offer information on straw bale house, local farms, gardening, zero waste and more. “Thinking Globally, Acting Locally” is part of their philosophy.
Check out the website for more details or call 717-225-3825.
For more information on Earth Day, check out these websites:
A portal for U.S. government events and information, EarthDay.gov.
Children’s activities and more at Kaboose.
EPA, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Environlink, the Online Environmental Community.
Forest Guild
There’s still time to register for the Forest Guild’s Northeast Regional Meeting. The two-day program, Practicing Forestry in Challenging Times: Innovative Approaches and Critical Issues, April 24-25 will explore how foresters, allied professionals, and supporters can practice or promote excellent forestry, which upholds the triple bottom line (ecological, social and financial) in challenging times.
Hometown Burger Recipe Contest
It’s time to show some hometown pride with the Steak-umm “Hometown Burger” recipe contest sponsored by Quaker Maid Meats. Simply use a special local food in a dish built around Steak-umm Burgers. Who knows, maybe you’ll invent the next Philly cheesesteak! Each entry will be judged on originality, taste, visual appeal, creative pairing of your hometown ingredient with the Steak-umm product, and the extent to which the recipe brings out the essence of the local cuisine.
The contest runs from March 15 through June 15. Winners will be selected by June 25. Recipes can be submitted to hometownburgercontest@sspr.com with the subject line ‘Hometown Burger Contest.’
The grand prize is a Weber Q 100 Liquid Propane Gas Grill – just in time for summer barbecuing. The two runners-up will receive a 10″ limited-edition Steak-umm frying pan.
Weather Watchers
CYBERCHASE, the only math series for children on American television, premieres new episodes starting on April 20, featuring NBC-TV meteorologist Janice Huff as part of its seventh-season Weather Watchers initiative that helps children learn more and get motivated about climate change.
Episodes are detailed here.
Contemporary Baskets
Santa Fe, New Mexico – Sara and David Lieberman, with their passion for collecting contemporary craft and their exceptional openness to new forms and ideas, have assembled one of the best collections of contemporary baskets in the country. The more than 150 baskets in their collection were at first collected for their “function and appeal” and their grounding in ancient traditions. But their selections soon included new works of great “vitality and vigor” that were more about “expression and communication” rather than function.
Intertwined: Contemporary Baskets from the Sara and David Lieberman Collection opens at the New Mexico Museum of Art on April 24and runs through September 6. The Women’s Board of the Museum of New Mexico will host an opening reception from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the Free Friday Evening, April 24.
For more, click here.
Chinese Culture Days
St. Louis – Celebrate Chinese arts, culture, music and cuisine during Chinese Culture Days at the Missouri Botanical Garden, Saturday and Sunday, April 25-26 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Marvel at the daring acrobatic feats of the New Shanghai Circus Troupe, experience a traditional dancing dragon parade, and enjoy a new Chinese Fashion and Cultural Show highlighting regional and clothing, song and dance. In honor of the Garden’s 150th anniversary, this year’s Chinese Culture Days will also feature a rare art exhibit of Chinese bronze artifacts from the Song, Ming, Hahn and Qing dynasties.
Chinese Culture Days admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors (ages 65 and over), and $5 for children (ages three to 12). Garden members are $5; members’ children ages 12 and under are free. Doors open at 9 a.m. with activities from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Purchase tickets online in advance.
Learn more here.
Cowboy Festival
Can’t hold your horses for the cowboy event of the year? Saddle up and celebrate early with the preliminary events before the 2009 Cowboy Festival in Santa Clarita, California.
The festival events kick up all over Santa Clarita – even before the festival’s official arrival. The official event weekend at Melody Ranch Motion Picture Studio begins April 25-26, but the ancillary, off-site attractions begin Wednesday, April 22, and continue through Saturday, April 25.
For more on all the events, click here.
Daffodil Show and Conference
Glencoe, Illinois – On April 25 and 26, the Chicago Botanic Garden hosts the American Daffodil Society’s national show and conference, featuring more than 1,000 daffodils on display. The show includes cut blooms and photography competitions, as well as floral designs inspired by the display gardens at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Daffodil growers of all skill levels are invited to participate. There is no fee for entering daffodils in the competition. Show hours are from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
For more on the Daffodil Show and Conference, and on the Chicago Botanic Garden, click here.
Poppy Festival
The Red Poppy Festival marks the coming of spring and the arrival of Georgetown’s colorful springtime visitor, the Red Poppy Flower. These beautiful flowers have been a part of Georgetown’s heritage and landscape for more than 70 years, a fact certified by the Texas legislature naming Georgetown as the Red Poppy Capital of Texas.
The festival bursts into bloom April 24-26 for a weekend of music, dancing, arts and crafts, children’s activities, and more, all marking the 10th anniversary of the festival.
For more details, click here.
Mesquite Art Show
The Texas Mesquite Art Festival returns to San Angelo April 17-19, showcasing the best mesquite artisans.
Roger Ellison, San Angelo festival director, says artists from around the state and beyond will gather at Fort Concho for a three-day celebration of the exquisite and attractive mesquite. “Besides seeing the absolute best of mesquite, visitors will enjoy one of the largest gatherings of mesquite artisans,” Ellison says.
For further information, click here.