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Eddie Agha of The Nature Institute’s Astronomy Association
GODFREY | Mark your calendars for The Nature Institute’s seventh annual Riverbend Earth Day Festival from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 14.
The event offers local entertainment, food vendors, artisans market, environmental education and more. The festival will once again be at Piasa Harbor, owned by the Great Rivers Land Trust. The site is next to the Great River Road.
The institute is partnering with the Sierra Club, the Great Rivers Land Trust and the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center for this day of live music, local food, nature activities and more. This free event will take place rain or shine.
“We have 60 vendors and education booths this year,” TNI Director of Outreach Amy Chartrand says. “This festival has always been a great mix between local businesses and artisans showcase and environmental and education displays. It’s one event that you always leave with a smile on your face.”
Last year, the festival was forced to switch locations last minute because of storms that ended up destroying the building that would’ve have housed their indoor space had festival planners not decided to move.
Chartrand is hopeful they will return to their normal festival grounds at Piasa Harbor.
“This festival is a celebration of the outdoors,” she said. “There’s nothing that beats being right along the river.”
The festival will feature local entertainment. TreeHouse Wildlife Center will have a live demonstration of mammals and reptiles at noon. After their display, Lauren Waters and Darrius Spangler will each take the stage with their acoustic stylings from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Rounding out the second half of the festival entertainment will be the Buckhannon Brothers at 2:30 p.m. and the Silver Creek Bluegrass Band at 4:30 p.m.
Some local artisan vendors expected to make an appearance this year include Copes Soap, Yomar Baskets, Rosina’s African Handmade Jewelry, Sweet Leaf, and Once Design.
Aside from the festival’s celebration of local business, guests can also learn about community sustainable resources and the Riverbend environment.
Chartrand thanked the public for the amount of support the event organizers have received from the community and that their interest “displays how environmentally conscious our Riverbend citizens can be.”
The institute will be leading hikes at 1 p.m., 3 p.m., and 5 p.m. at Piasa Harbor. These hikes will have a citizen science theme. This theme will go along with the organization’s upcoming partnership with the city of St. Louis for a region-wide “bio blitz” planned for the end of April. More details about that weekend will be available at the festival.
Guests will be able to enjoy tasty treats from Old Bakery Beer Company, Shivers Frozen Custard, St. Louis Kettle Corn, LuLu’s Hawaiian Ice, B & C Concessions, and LaMay’s Catering Inc.
The main foraged ingredient of Nature Brews, a local and native beer collaborative between Old Bakery Beer Company and The Nature Institute, will be announced at the festival. Nature Brews is set to be released this fall and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the institute’s mission of preservation, restoration, and education. A small cask will be available for those 21 and older to taste.
This year’s festival is sponsored by Old Bakery Beer Company, Shivers Frozen Custard, St. Clair Beekeepers Association, Pearl Pro Audio, Phillips 66, The Telegraph, WBGZ, and The Gateway Gardener. Other sponsors include Madison County Planning and Development, state Rep. Monica Bristow, Steck-Cooper and Co., and StraightUp Solar.
For more information, call (618) 466-9930 or email info@TheNatureInstitute.org.