By Matt de Simone
Organizers are expecting the largest turnout yet for the town’s annual Earth Day celebration, set for April 25 at the Fincastle Library, as the event continues to grow in both size and community involvement.
Now in its third year, the event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in partnership with the Friends of the Library’s popular book sale, a collaboration that has helped boost attendance and visibility for both efforts.
“It’s been a really great partnership,” said Bess Madonna, chair of the Fincastle Sustainability Committee during the April meeting of Fincastle Town Council. “We kind of capture the people coming for the book sale, and they capture the people coming for the Earth Day event.”
What began as a small, informational gathering with seven or eight experts has expanded into a much larger showcase. This year’s event is expected to feature about 18 tables — up from roughly 10 last year — offering a mix of educational resources, interactive exhibits and environmentally themed vendors.
Topics will range from soil and water conservation to solar energy, astronomy and beekeeping. Attendees can also take part in a plant exchange, which organizers say has become one of the most popular attractions.
In addition to informational booths, this year’s event will place a stronger emphasis on youth activities. Highlights include an art table, a high school Earth Day poster contest, and hands-on demonstrations such as a park ranger-led workshop teaching children how to build birdhouses. Students from Central Academy Middle School’s Future Farmers program will also participate.
Winning entries in the poster contest — featuring high school students from Lord Botetourt and James River — will be displayed in the library ahead of the event, with awards presented at noon.
The Earth Day celebration is one of several initiatives launched by the Fincastle Sustainability Committee, which was formed about five years ago following an update to the town’s Comprehensive Plan that added a focus on sustainability. The committee’s mission spans environmental, community and economic sustainability, though it operates without dedicated funding and relies on volunteers and donations.
Past projects have included a winter market and the establishment of a pollinator garden at Big Spring Park, along with ongoing educational outreach.
Madonna said the Earth Day event has been particularly rewarding, not only for its growth but for the connections it has fostered within the community.
“It’s been great to see people volunteer and step up to help in so many ways,” she said in a recent news release.
Support for this year’s event includes approximately $500 in donations, as well as contributions from local businesses. A tree donated by Ace Hardware will be planted at Big Spring Park, and gift cards from local restaurants will be awarded to poster contest winners.
Madonna emphasized the importance of community participation, noting that strong attendance helps ensure experts and exhibitors continue to return each year.
“These experts are local, and they’re really, really good,” she added. “But if we don’t get some traffic, they won’t want to come and spend their time.”
Organizers encourage residents to attend, learn and take part in the growing celebration of sustainability in the community.
