NARBERTH — When Patsy Higgins was asked “How exciting is it ‘to be back’ after two years of waiting due to COVID,” the planner extraordinaire enthused, “We are very excited to be able to have another NarbEarth Day.”
She added, “It’s a soul-warming day of celebration, meeting old friends and making new ones, relaxing to the cool musical vibes of “Grip It and Rip It” and finding out what’s going on locally to save the earth!”
The 31st Annual NarbEarth Day will highlight a fun environmental fair for children and adults, on Saturday, April 30 from noon to 4 pm in Narberth Park next to the Narberth Community Library.
This free family-oriented happening will feature exhibits and interactive activities promoting environmental responsibility and sustainability, along with foods and artisan goods curated by local vendors.
Higgins continues, “We have missed this fair in substantial ways, including working together to make it happen. The team of people who work on this day are truly wonderful, hard workers who are dedicated to making the world a better place.”
“We are old and young, many with young children to look after, so it’s a challenge to find the time for the work that goes into putting on this event.”
Remarkably, NarbEarth Day will yet again be a trash-free event, using no plastic, a genuine source of pride for the organizers.
According to the press release, the popular, long-running environmental fair is returning at last to the “great outside.”
Narberth residents, community people, and friends are encouraged to ride Amtrak, walk over, or ride a bike – and enjoy complimentary valet bike parking – and connect with each other and with representatives from local, regional and national groups, while all in attendance celebrate and promote environmental responsibility and sustainability.
A variety of fun activities are being planned for all ages:
• Sample a variety of foods and beverages from local vendors
• Participate in eco-friendly activities and crafts
• Enjoy live music from “Grip It & Rip It”
• Paint “kindness rocks” which can later be found around Narberth
• Buy “pick your prize” raffle tickets for a chance to win incredible prizes from local businesses
• Donate gently-used books to BOOK SMILES for K-8 kids in underserved areas of Philadelphia, as well as used eyeglasses for the Lions Club to distribute
• Swap children’s clothing, household goods, and toys
• Brighten up your garden with new perennials from the “Plant Swap and Sale”
• Pick up a good read from the Narberth Community Library “Used Book Sale”
• AND, new this year, participate in a jigsaw puzzle swap sponsored by Sweet Mabel
This unique Narberth event will offer a number of new exhibitors such as SHIFT, a women-owned, Narberth-based business which offers eco-conscious goods and services focused on low-impact living.
Based on notes from longtime Narberth resident and founder of Yoga Garden, Georgette DuBois, the first NarbEarth Day was started in 1990 by Nancy Lotz, who was then on the board of the Narberth Civic Association, and it was keyed to the anniversary of the original Earth Day, April 22, 1970.
As DuBois recalls, “I probably first worked at the plant swap around 1992 or 1993, which means I’ve been involved for nearly thirty years!”
“I volunteered for a number of years, and then one year when it looked like it wasn’t going to happen, I took on the job of organizing the event, and I did that for several years. It was too important and wonderful to let it go!”
“When Patsy Higgins agreed to be involved, she took us to a whole new level of organization, with spreadsheets, extensive notes, and a map of where everything would be set up in the park.”
“In recent years, I’ve been awed by the way NarbEarth Day has grown and evolved, and by the amazing, committed volunteers who make this all happen.”
“I remember when the plant swap consisted of me sitting at a picnic table with a few plants. Now we have a team of gardeners who come back every year to staff the table, which overflows with donated plants and seedlings.”
DuBois summarizes, “Because we are all volunteers who create NarbEarth Day, we always have a thank-you lunch afterwards to appreciate all of our volunteers who work on planning for months ahead of time, and those who show up to help on the day of the event.
In anticipation of “now and the future,” DuBois sparks enthusiasm, “We look forward to carrying on for years to come!”
NarbEarth Day is presented by the Narberth Civic Association. For more information, visit narberthcivic.org, send an email to nca@narberthcivic.org, or contact Patsy Higgins at 610-608-2445. Please note, in case of rain, NarbEarth Day will be rescheduled to Sunday, May 1, noon to 4 pm.
