Our Mother Earth Festival Comes to Riverside Park Saturday, May 4
The Our Mother Earth Festival comes to Riverside Park in Salida Saturday, May 4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring a costumed Parade for the Species from Alpine Park through downtown to Riverside Park, animal displays from the Colorado Springs Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Zoomobile and Pueblo Raptor Center, as well as educational and eco-booths from various organizations and agencies designed to heighten awareness of environmental issues.
The event, produced by 350 Central Colorado, will also feature the Salida Circus performing, the River Tribe, The Groove Battalion, an Eco-Maze, a 50-foot sperm whale constructed by the Boys and Girl’s Club, the Forest Service information booth with Smokey Bear, 350’s Slushy the Polar Bear, electronics recycling, music performed by the Screevers, a Mother Earth sing-a-long for children of all ages, ice cream and more.
Joe Salazar, the former three-term Colorado representative now Executive Director of Colorado Rising, the environmental group formed to promote protecting public health by more tightly regulating Colorado's oil and gas industry, will be the special guest speaker.
Community sponsors include 350 Colorado, Itty Bitty Lakes, Box of Bubbles, Mike’s Garage, Su Casa Furniture, Krivanek Jewelers, Colorado Central Magazine, Dental Hygiene, Boathouse Cantina, Amicas Pizza & Microbrew, Yolo Clothing, Jim and Alys Bruffy, Ruby Osberg, Hylton Lumber, Liz Petersen Insurance, Free The Monkey, Maverick Potter, Salida Mountain Sports, 7,000 Feet, 50 Burger, High Country Bank, Terra Firma Forestry, First Colorado Land Office, Ouray Gardens, INTEGRATE Mind Body Fitness, Weathervane Farm, Fun Street Family Arcade, Rosemary Pautler, Ruby Blues, Natural Habitats (Tom Pokorny), Salida Business Alliance, Café Dawn, Daniel Smith and Lee Coveney, Dale Hoffman and Shirley Howe, Paul Greg, Tracy Holmes, Architectural Glass, and Salida Council for the Arts, among others.
Parade participants who want to make a mask or costumer should contact Ken Brandon at Box of Bubbles, 539-7443 or email [email protected] well ahead of the event. Parade participants should gather at Alpine Park by 9:30 a.m. on May 4.