EarthFair named one of the top 200 events in the country.
by Kari Gray
t was hot. It was crowded. It was fun and entertaining,
educational and in formative. It was EarthFair '97, the eighth annual environmental
educational fair in Balboa Park. And now, our annual celebration has received
national recognition.
The Events Business News, a trade journal
for the event production industry, maintains a database of over 38,000 events.
In their most recent issue, the EarthFair was chosen as one of the top 200
events, based on its impact on the area, event management, history, entertainment
value, and our promotional/sponsorship relations.
Joni Craig of the GenderPeace Clothesline Project
agrees. "EarthFair is the best organized event we attend," she
claims. "The volunteers work so hard and it is so well organized."
Reflecting its growing regional and national
profile, this year's event seemed to attract an unusual number of people
from outside San Diego as well. A survey conducted last year indicates that
as many as one-third of the visitors came from outside the San Diego area.
"There was even one All Species Children's Parade unit that came from
Bakersfield!" noted volunteer Parade coordinator, Rebecca Grijalva.
Every year we get more exhibitors from outside
the San Diego area. This year, exhibitors arrived from Oregon, Utah, Nevada,
Virginia and Orange County for the event. Volunteer communications coordinator
Steve Winn noticed that most of the calls to the site office were from people
from outside San Diego looking for directions to the Park.
What attracted so many visitors this year?
Well, EarthFair '97 included 247 fascinating exhibits; seven stages of entertainment
plus a drumming circle; an All Species Children's Parade with girl scouts,
animals and people dressed as "space aliens"; electric vehicles
you could drive - and go out and buy tomorrow; an on-site recycling center
staffed by Urban Corps workers; adoptable animals; delicious vegetarian
food from all over the world; and 75,000 people looking for ideas for making
a better world.
The U.S. Navy displayed their ongoing restoration
efforts and Trans2 displayed their electric vehicle. The Sierra Club, the
Mountain Defense League and the Friends of South Bay Wildlife Refuge gathered
thousands of signatures on petitions. Exhibitors gave away flowers, trees,
firewood made from recycled banana peels, and water. Non-profit groups raised
thousands of tax-deductible dollars (profits from all exhibitor sales
at EarthFair must be donated to a non-profit organization). There were no
arrests, only one medical emergency, several unauthorized protests about
par for the course but no psychics, despite Union-Tribune reports.
EarthFair is only possible because of the hard
work of hundreds of volunteers from all over San Diego County throughout
the year. With only one full-time employee, volunteers start planning EarthFair
in January. During the weeks and months before the EarthFair, volunteers
photocopy press releases and flyers, make signs and banners, call for donations
and send out confirmation letters. During the event, they set up the tables
in the morning, park bikes, hand out event programs and pick up trash. Phillip
Nicholson, a Rancho Bernardo High School student, promised to volunteer
again next year, but may get his chance September 20 when San Diego Earth
Day presents the Harvest EarthFair in Vista.
EarthFair also depends on the support of the
community and a wide range of sponsors including: the California Department
of Conservation, 91X, Miramar College, Sony North America, Qualcomm, Bank
of America; media sponsors: The Planet 103.7, Q106, KSWB, Jazz FM 98, KFMB;
and generous in-kind and product donations from Earth Media, Solar Electric,
Earth Connections, City of San Diego Environmental Services Department,
Balboa Park, Urban Corps, Steven Morris Design, San Diego Transit, United
Airlines, San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, Mark Tighe Construction, and
Vitamist.
After the eighth successful EarthFair, the
variety of exhibits, the commitment of its volunteers and the widespread
audience that it attracts prove that a local, grassroots event can become
one of the top 200 events in the country. Earth Day is every day and Earth
Day is NOW.
Kari Gray is SDED's only full-time employee
and co-producer of EarthFair. For information on how you can participate,
please call (619) 272-7370, or our 24-hour message line, (619) 496-6666
