Who knew saving the planet could be this much fun?

The 2009 Nashville Earth Day Festival will promote environmental awareness with food, live music and  family activities.

The action begins at 11 a.m. April 18 at Centennial Park near downtown.

The event, themed “Together  — Growing a Greener Nashville,” will offer food from local vendors throughout the day. You can chow down on a weiner from Ricky’s Hot Dogs or a sandwich from Jersey Mike’s, then wash everything down with cool refreshment from Mama Joe’s Lemonade.

Plenty of sweet treats will be available, including ice cream from Ben and Jerry’s and snow cones from DH&H Sno Cones.

Children can have fun in the “Earth Day Soleil” play area, and volunteers will dress as clowns in a three-ringed circus setting. All the activities will be environmentally based and are scheduled for noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Exhibitors include Cumberland Transit, Nashville Zoo at Grassmere, Whole Foods Market, Music City E-Bikes and Clean Air Partnership of Middle Tennessee.

Presentation booths will follow seven themes: organic food and farming, outdoor education and adventure, sustainable living and land conservation, waste reduction and recycling, wildlife, air, and water.

A scavenger hunt will direct visitors to booths where they can see demonstrations, or participate in educational games. The festival will also feature live music and entertainment throughout the day, with a lineup of performers that will include RhythMystik, Susan Tedeschi, The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker, Caitlin Rose, Jeremy Lister, and AutoVaughn. A complete line-up is available here.

The festival adds two new features this spring:

• “ReCycle your Cycle” encourages people with extra bicycles in their garages or basements to donate them to this initiative.  The program hopes to collect 1,000 bikes that will be redistributed to people who cannot afford to buy their own.
• The “MEDS” (Manage extra drugs safely) effort, sponsored by Aegis and available from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., will provide  a disposal area at the festival from for excess or expired medication  More information is available here.

The fesival is looking for volunteers to work two-hour shifts and to help with clean-up. Click here to learn more or sign up.

- by Emily Moore, Nashville Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)