On Sunday, May 1, the New Paltz Reformed Church and this year’s cosponsor, the New Paltz Climate Action Coalition, will host the ninth annual Earth Day Celebration at the Reformed Church Education building from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

To help raise consciousness on sustainability, one of the founders of this particular Earth Day event Jim O’Dowd said that they “will demonstrate and provide information and support on several small things that people can do to live more sustainably, as well as big things.”

They will have a solar panel installer on hand to showcase the benefits of solar power, as well as to help educate property owners on how they can bring solar power to their homes.

There will be a variety of eco-crafts and activities for children, as well as a food menu that will feature local meats and produce, including veggie burgers, pulled pork sandwiches made from locally raised pork, butternut squash soup and scrumptious salads and fruits from local growers.

To bring festivity to the Earth Day movement, there will be several live music acts, including the local folk band Betty & the Baby Boomers from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

“They are great,” said O’Dowd. “They’re amazing, I have many of their CDs and they’re an even greater pleasure to listen to live.”

Then there is contemporary musician Jason Broome, who will perform from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. and Karen Johnson from 1:30 to 2:15 p.m. and the local youth duo, Julian and Avery Berman, who will perform starting at 2:30 p.m. to the closing of the event.

O’Dowd pointed out that a unique program they’ll be including this year is a collection of used bicycles of all sizes (that don’t have too much rust) to be recycled, re-fitted and put back on the road when they’re donated to the Big Brothers and Big Sisters program in Kingston.

“We have two members of our congregation, Kathy Martin and her husband Bill Hueston, who offered to do this and we thought it was the perfect idea for our Earth Day event,” he said.

O’Dowd mentioned that it’s going to be a busy, but exciting weekend as he and an entire committee of local people will also be hosting an initial “work day” at the middle school, where they will be constructing a garden, similar to the ones that have already been created and become part of the school curriculum at Duzine and Lenape elementary schools in New Paltz.

“Mark Masseo (Landscaping) is lending a tremendous hand to this project,” said O’Dowd, “and we’re all really excited about it.”

The garden will be located back by the tennis courts south of the middle school building and anyone willing to pitch in some labor is welcomed to join them on Saturday, April 30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Questions on either of these events can be directed to O’Dowd at 255-4170 or by e-mail at JimmyOdowd@yahoo.com. For more information on the recycled bike program, e-mail Kathy at kathleen_n_martin@yahoo.com.