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Community Corner

Celebrate Earth Day for a Week in Northfield

Northfield is ready for 10 days of cows, colleges and compost.

Earth Day, the 41-year-old educational event sparked by concern about the future of the planet, will be marked worldwide Friday.

In Northfield, though, the celebration stretches over 10 days.

Movies, a fun run, a contra dance and a riverside fair featuring a dozen booths, educational displays, giveaways and entertainment are all part of the celebration. 

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Many Northfield events are being held a week after the national Earth Day for two reasons, said Mary Jo Cristofaro, an event planner.

First, this year Earth Day coincides with the Easter holiday and second, the weather has often been cold and rainy on Earth Day.

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“We’ve been checking the 10-day forecasts and the extended forecast looks pretty good,” she said.

The Earth Day events are designed to raise awareness about local opportunities to live more sustainably, she said, and exhibitors will include community supported agriculture farms, community garden clubs, solar panel providers, Prairie Creek Community School with a compost demonstration, and the Northfield Environmental Quality Commission, which will be giving away tree seedlings.

“It’s a great event,” said Susannah Shmurak, chair of the Northfield EQC. “We jumped on the bandwagon.”

Planners of the event include Transition Northfield, Cannon River Watershed Partnership, Just Food Co-op, Carleton’s ACT Center, and Prairie Creek in partnership with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the Northfield Healthy Community Initiative, First United Church of Christ and the Center for Sustainable Living

This year, local youth have been extensively involved in the planning, said Cristofaro, which has "brought a wonderful new flare to the day." There will be several musical groups performing as well as crafts and demonstrations for all ages. An Earth Day parade is also planned.

“It’s an opportunity to re-localize our community,” Cristofaro said, “to raise awareness about sustainability and bring us back to the really important things in life.”


Among the events scheduled are:

Thursday, April 21: Rain Barrel Making Workshop, hosted by the Cannon River Watershed Partnership, is at 7 p.m. at Just Food Co-op. Attendees will learn about the value of rain barrels in controlling runoff and will leave with a 55-gallon plastic rain barrel. Cost: $42 for co-op members, $45 for nonmembers. Register with Just Food.

Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time, a documentary about the life and work of  pioneering conservationist Aldo Leopold, will be shown at 7 p.m. Thursday at Olin Hall, Room 149, at Carleton College. The screening is sponsored by Carleton’s Gould Library and the Carleton Arboretum.

Friday, April 22: Picnic for the Planet, sponsored by the Northfield Nature Conservancy, is at noon at the Riverwalk in downtown Northfield. Bring your own picnic. Rain location is Just Food Co-op Deli.

Saturday, April 23: Earth Day 5K Run/Walk begins with registration at 8 a.m. at Shager Park along the Sakatah Trail. Register with the Cannon River Watershed Partnership. Race begins at 9 a.m.

Friday, April 29: The Earth Day Contra Dance is from 7-10:30 p.m. at the Northfield Ballroom. EcoTrans will provide free rides to the ballroom from Bridge Square at 6:30 and 6:45 p.m. Friday with return trips at 10:30 and 10:45 p.m. Admission is $9 for adults, $6 for students, with a $25 family maximum.

Saturday, April 30: Northfield’s Perennial Earth Day Celebration: Cows, Colleges, and Compost is from noon to 4 p.m. on Bridge Square and Riverwalk in downtown Northfield. A family event, it will include activities such as free bike tune-ups, making hemp bracelets and recycled clothing, a dance clinic with the Northfield Arts Guild’s Mexican Folkloric dancers, demonstrations on wool spinning and other crafts, as well as tree giveaways, food and entertainment. In case of rain, the event will be held at the First United Church of Christ. 

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