Love Our Earth Festival Brings Community Together in East Palo Alto

Early morning rain on Saturday, April 13, paused just in time for the 3rd Annual Love Our Earth Festival to welcome Peninsula residents to East Palo Alto community-gathering spot Bloomhouse. The free event informed and entertained more than 600 registered attendees.

Peninsula residents visited 84 exhibitors in each of the Festival’s five zones: Home Electrification Showcase, Clean Vehicles Expo (including electric motorcycles and e-bikes), Resilient Community Groups, Plant-Based Market and Engaging Activities for All Ages. They learned about everything from mitigating the climate crisis, by switching major home appliances to all-electric heat pumps, to preparing for extreme weather and other negative consequences of climate change. Notably, this year’s festival took place in East Palo Alto that, like other Bayfront communities, is particularly susceptible to poor air quality, extreme heat and sea-level rise. Dozens of community-resilience organizations were out in force, such as Nuestra Casa, Canopy and Climate Resilient Communities, all working to empower communities and residents to lessen that disparity.

Visitors danced to music provided by Afrobeat guitarist Soji Odukogbe and were encouraged to keep up the fight against climate change by Menlo Park Mayor Cecilia Taylor. On the Family Stage, EarthCapades entertained and taught kids about safely walking, biking and rolling to school, as a way they can care for the planet, and EPACENTER students performed a lively dance routine. In the welcome warmth of the Festival’s indoor space, visitors watched induction cooking demos by Zero-Waste Chef Anne-Marie Bonneau, listened to storytime with the Menlo Park Library and got up-close and personal with the Lizard Lady’s reptiles.

In the Plant-Based Market, attendees could choose from pupusas, Vietnamese “banh mi” and other treats, as well as warm beverages.