Life

Hendo Earth Fest debuts this weekend

By Lightning Reports, Published: April 19, 2023

The city of Hendersonville will celebrate the first-ever Hendo Earth Fest from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Earth Day, Saturday.

Local organizations and environmental champions will educate, entertain and raise awareness of the need to protect the planet for future generations. The festival is sponsored by the ESB in association with the Blue Ridge EV Club, Team ECCO, Conserving Carolina, Mountain True, Caregivers of Mother Earth and Trinity Presbyterian Church. The festival will be held on Main Street between Fourth and Sixth avenues and on Fifth Avenue between Wall Street and King Street 

At 10:30 a.m., Mayor Pro Tem Lyndsey Simpson and Council Member Jennifer Hensley will welcome attendees and provide remarks from the steps of City Hall along Fifth Avenue East.

In the 400 block of Main Street, the ESB will have exhibits and activities to inform, renew and expand knowledge on how to preserve the local environment. The Aquarium and Shark Lab by Team ECCO will have water-related exhibits and fun activities for children and adults on the 500 block of Main Street. On Fifth Avenue, the Blue Ridge EV Club will display electric-powered sedans, crossovers, SUVs, trucks, electric bikes, and more.

The Blue Ridge Bicycle Club is leading two community rides to Hendo Earth Fest each starting at 10:00 am. One ride begins at First Congregational Church (1735 Fifth Ave. West) and the second begins at Patton Park (114 East Clairmont Drive) to Fourth Avenue ending at City Hall on Fifth Avenue. Henderson County Sheriff’s Office VIP personnel will provide traffic assistance at key intersections.

Plenty of parking is available in the new parking deck on Church Street and Fifth Avenue West as well as in the Azalea and Spruce parking lots. Free parking options are available a short walk beyond the boundaries of Church Street and King Street. Hendo Earth Fest attendees are also encouraged to park at Patton Park or Jackson Park and bike to the event, where a bike corral provided by the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club will be available. For more information visit www.hvlnc.gov/hendoearthfest.