The third annual Springfield Earth Day Festival will take place Saturday, April 27, at Jordan Valley Park.
The event was born out of a passion musician Molly Healey has for both music and the environment. She pitched her idea on social media for a plastic-free music festival that would raise money for environmental groups. That led to a meeting with Barry Rowell and other folks who had been hosting an Earth Day event in Springfield, "so around that coffee table was born the new idea of the ticketed music fest where we actually we not only commemorated the day but also made it plastic free and tried to raise awareness in the community and raised money for our local environmental organizations," Healey said.
About $50,000 has been raised for local environmental groups so far. This year, festival proceeds will benefit James River Basin Partnership, Greater Ozarks Audubon and the River Access Coalition.
The festival will feature nine bands across two stages, including headliner Langhorne Slim out of Tennessee and Rochara Knight and the Honey Doves from the Columbia area, Ha Ha Tonka from West Plains and National Park Radio from Arkansas. It will also feature Springfield-area musicians and performances by Springfield Aerial Fitness. There will also be a kids’ tent this year.
"We're going to have art projects and a musical petting zoo and also a reading corner all under this big kids' tent," said Healey.
Vendors and sponsors will have booths set up. And there are bike rides that will start throughout Springfield and end at the festival.
Kids 12 and under get in free. Admission for everyone else is $50 or $75 for VIP tickets. You can get tickets, which include a reusable cup, at the gate, but they’re cheaper in advance.
If it rains, the festival will move inside Jordan Valley Ice Park.
