WS Chronicle

Are you looking for a fun way to spend time with your grandkids, from tots to teens? Bring them to the Piedmont Earth Day Fair on Saturday, April 20, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds! The largest Earth Day celebration in North Carolina, it’s packed with family-friendly activities and demonstrations, delicious food, student artwork, and more. 

The best thing of all? Attendance and parking are free!

The fair is presented by Piedmont Environmental Alliance (PEA). “Earth Day is a great time for people of all ages to connect with our planet, build community, and take action locally to support the environment,” says PEA Executive Director Jamie Maier. “Families love the Fair and leave with new ideas, native plants, reusable swag, loads of crafts and enthusiasm for environmental action.”

Wherever you go, you’ll find lots of activities for kids, including arts & crafts; live animal demos with bees, turtles, chickens, and owls; face-painting and children’s yoga. The student environmental art contest will be displayed prominently near the fair entrance. Local artists select winners based on student artists’ creativity and grasp of a critical environmental issue (see below for information on submitting your young artist’s work!). Don’t miss the two Kids Zones, which feature special activities hosted by Kaleideum, the Forsyth County Public Library, Piedmont Forest School, the Art SHAC, and other popular organizations. 

Electric vehicles are always a highlight of the fair. This year there are more vehicles to admire than ever, from a sports car to SUVs to trucks and buses. After you climb aboard an all-electric Volvo truck or Thomas Built Jouley school bus, you can learn about electric charging options and the recent rebates and tax credits that make electric vehicles affordable and good for the planet.

Older kids will be inspired by the locally based companies that are doing groundbreaking work in sustainability right here in the Piedmont. They can learn about innovations in solar energy, transportation, and food security, as well as green jobs opportunities that match with their interests. They can also check out the Live Debate tent to hear high school students from across the Piedmont discuss the environmental pros and cons of banning cars in downtown areas.

If you’re looking for ideas to make your lifestyle more environmentally friendly, sit in on demonstrations, offered throughout the day, with topics like setting up rain barrels to save water, gardening for pollinators, and growing mushrooms. You can also pick up tips about “greening” your home with recycling/reuse, energy-efficient appliances, solar panels, and more.

What would be a celebration without great food and music? As you explore, you can take a break to buy lunch or a treat from local vendors and food trucks, some of them powered by mobile solar panels! And while you’re enjoying a meal, listen to local musicians performing on two stages, thanks to the North Carolina Songwriters Co-op. 

The most important takeaway of your time with your grandkids at the Piedmont Earth Day Fair may be the memories you make using what you learned at the fair: planting a garden, taking a nature walk, turning cast-off clothing into a scrapbook. You may be inspired to share stories about how you did some of these things as a child with your grandparents, carrying on family traditions with a new twist. 

Whatever you do, you will plant the seeds of knowledge that will inspire your grandchildren to become the leaders, scientists, and environmentalists who will solve the complex problems facing our planet. 

Based in Winston-Salem, Piedmont Environmental Alliance (PEA) drives action for a more just, resilient, and sustainable region with education programs, events, and local advocacy. Learn more at www.peanc.org.

FAIR DETAILS

Piedmont Earth Day Fair

Winston-Salem Fairgrounds

April 20 from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. 

Free – Rain or shine!

Learn more at www.peanc.org/edf      

Earth Day Fair Art Contest

Visit www.peanc.org/art to register and learn how to submit your artist’s environmentally themed artwork. 

Visit The Chronicle’s booth

With a theme of READ. RECYCLE. REPURPOSE. we will help children make pots out of newspaper and plant vegetable seeds to replant in their garden, in a biodegradable and earth-friendly way.