PORT TOWNSEND — More booths, more banners, more music, more dancing.
This year’s EarthDay EveryDay! celebration promises to be a free-wheeling community party for the whole family — with the emphasis on free.
“We want to be open to everybody,” said Judith Alexander, a member of the steering committee. “It’s a community event.”
In its second year, the grass-roots celebration drew hundreds of people downtown last year.
There is no admission charge for the two-day event, which starts at noon Saturday at the Pope Marine Building and culminates in a fair-like festival Sunday at Memorial Field.
New this year — the All Species Parade, an all-ages, do-it-yourself procession, starting at 4:30 p.m. To help people find their animal ego, puppeteer Thaddeus Jurczynski will be dispensing free mask-making materials (recycled, of course) at a booth all day Sunday.
For the unartistic, Jurczynski will provide advice and templates in the shape of salmon, bear, deer and other animals indigenous to the native watershed.
“The idea is to increase awareness and appreciation of the diversity of the natural world,” Jurczynski said.
“But we’ll also have cats and dogs — those are always popular. And we’ll probably have some fantasy creatures in the parade — that’s all good.”
Environmental award
The animals will start parading after the presentation of the first Eleanor Stopps Environmental Leadership Award.
Stopps, the Port Ludlow woman who led the fight to preserve Protection Island, will present the award in person to an individual who has led a resource conservation effort or acted as catalyst for change.
“Seven adults have been nominated, and nine judges have made a selection,” said Tami Pokorny, who originated the award.
“It was very difficult — we are evaluating whether we’ll award more than one next year.”
