The Downtown Mechanicsburg Partnership will present their 11th annual Earth Day Festival from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., April 20, along Main Street and Market Street, rain or shine. The free, family-friendly event features exhibitors, eco-friendly product vendors, activities, games, live music, food and more.

“Our mission is to provide a relaxing setting to acquire knowledge, inspiration and guidance for creative approaches to ecologically sustainable living, while promoting the downtown merchants and local community organizations,” says Susanna Reppert, Earth Day organizer and owner of The Rosemary House.

Live music and dancing on the main stage begins at 10 a.m. A variety of foods will be available, from grilled cheese to freshly butchered meats, plant-based whole food soups and muffins. The Green Team will provide kid-friendly crafts using recycled items. All ages can paint kindness rocks with the Mechanicsburg Woman’s Club or decorate grocery bags with Earth-friendly messages, sponsored by the Lion’s Club.

Silent auction bids can be made on rain barrels hand-painted by local artists and high school students, designed to collect water for recycled use in gardens or house plants. Downtown businesses will offer product promotions. Visitors can stop by the secure paper shredding event sponsored by the Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union from 9 to 11 a.m.

Mechanicsburg Area School District Operation Wildcat Project Bikes and Recycle Bicycle Harrisburg will team up for a bike drive. Community members are invited to donate used bikes, which will then be repaired and given to local children that might not otherwise be able to afford them in an effort to help kids stay healthy and active. Adult bikes will also be accepted and used to help disadvantaged adults acquire transportation.

Attendees are invited to recycle and responsibly dispose of a variety of items, including Styrofoam, pharmaceuticals, old crayons, markers and more at several booths on South Market Street and businesses around town.

Admission is free. A complete list of items to be recycled can be found at MechanicsburgEarthDayFest.com. For more information or to reserve a vendor booth, call Reppert at 717-697-5111 or email [email protected].