The Green Prize Festival, which celebrates Earth Day with various activities, will return for its fourth year in Long Beach on Saturday, April 22 at Houghton Park, 6301 Myrtle Ave.
The goal of the Green Prize Festival and Award Ceremony, which is sponsored by SoCal Honda Dealers, is to recognize, support and promote local community achievements in environmental health and sustainability efforts in Long Beach and surrounding areas. The Green Prize is an award honoring the efforts of local green activists shaping a balanced and sustainable environment, economy and future.
“It is inspiring to see and feel the efforts undertaken to create a more sustainable Long Beach and a greener economy,” said Stella Ursua, Green Prize Festival founder and president of Green Education. “More community-based organizations, nonprofits and city departments are incorporating sustainability goals into both their mission and their organizational values, and environmental organizations have been successfully lobbying and organizing communities to develop more holistic, equitable and inclusive approaches to living greener lives.”
And to continue growing more support and more green advocates, the Green Prize Festival is intentionally held in a different Long Beach public park each time. This year, organizers selected Houghton Park in north Long Beach to conduct the festival.
“Most yearly events take place in the same location in order to build a base and following for future events,” Ursua said. “Not the Green Prize Festival— we want to ensure that those communities that typically might not have access to an event of this size and magnitude get to host it in their own back yards. We partnered with Vice Mayor Rex Richardson this year because he is a champion for supporting traditionally underserved communities and ensuring residents have access to the knowledge and expertise that will help transform our city to a healthier Long Beach for all.”
Each year, the Green Prize Festival has recognized leaders in sustainability and environmental health, including local green builders, urban farmers, small businesses, neighborhood associations, green chef/restaurant, green schools, artists, non-profit/community organizations and “green” legislators. This year’s awards presentation will take place from 11:30am to 12:30pm at the Port of Long Beach Main Stage, where Mayor Robert Garcia and Richardson will present the awards.
“Our goal at Green Education Inc. is to partner with local stakeholders to educate and transform communities into green, sustainable neighborhoods,” Ursua said. “With this ambition on our forefront, our organization collaborates with key stakeholders to educate, elevate and support individuals and families, especially in underserved and pollution burdened areas. We have created an event that is now one of the largest Earth Day
events in LA County, and we are thrilled to have founded this celebration in Long Beach, with local sustainability leaders being some of the first Green Prize awardees receiving this long overdue recognition, together at one great, green event.”
There will also be a line-up of local artists performing throughout the day at the main stage, thanks to the sponsorship of the Port of Long Beach. Family-friendly live entertainment will consist of a mixed collection of genres ranging from nuevo flamenco, Americana, SoulCal reggae and world music.
Along with educational workshops, demonstrations and a speaker series, the event also features over 50-plus eco-friendly vendors and entrepreneurs, children’s activities such as skating and drumming lessons, art activities, free bike valet/bike repairs, an all “home brew” beer garden and food trucks/vendors.
This year, the Center for Sustainable Energy will invite festival attendees to test-drive some of
the newest models of electric vehicles (EVs) starting at noon. The EV test-drive is sponsored by the statewide Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP) that offers up to $7,000 in rebates to eligible California residents. Licensed drivers can try out new EVs on a first-come, first-serve basis and experience the difference between driving with electricity versus driving a gas-powered car.
“The City of Long Beach will continue to lead the way on climate change thanks, in part, to dedicated community members who are helping integrate eco-friendly practices into their daily
lives,” Mayor Garcia said. “The Green Prize Festival is special to the City of Long Beach. I want to thank the Green Prize Festival and its honorees for their continued leadership and their commitment to making Long Beach a greener place.”
Garcia has also organized a “March for Science” that will begin at 10am at the corner of San Antonio Drive and Atlantic Avenue and conclude at The Green Prize Festival. The march, one of 425 taking place across the country, is the first step of a global movement to defend the vital role science plays in our health, safety, economies, and governments, according to Ursua.
More information is available at greenprizefestival.com and facebook.com/GreenPrizeFestival.
Source: Green Education Inc.
