Wilmington\u2019s Waterfront Promenade will be the setting for the Port of Los Angeles\u2019 biggest Earth Day event to date, which will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, April 19.<\/p>\n
The free, family- and pet-friendly event<\/a> \u2014 dogs are welcome but should be well-behaved and leashed \u2014 will take place at the 2-year-old, 9-acre waterfront<\/a> area at 301 S. Avalon Blvd. and will feature more than two dozen exhibitors, showcasing environmentally sustainable activities, services and innovations.<\/p>\n For nearly two decades, the port has held an Earth Day Chalk Fest at the nearby Wilmington Waterfront Park. Building on \u2014 and picking up \u2014 that mantle, this year\u2019s port Earth Day theme \u2014 \u201cOur Power, Our Planet\u201d \u2014 focuses on \u201ccreating change in the community.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Wilmington Waterfront Promenade is the ideal setting for the Port\u2019s Earth Day event,\u201d POLA Executive Director Gene Seroka said in a written statement. \u201cWorking alongside our neighbors in the surrounding harbor communities, we can amplify our environmental goals and further our mission to raise awareness of sustainable best practices that shape the future of our Port and planet.\u201d<\/p>\n The event will open with a \u201cNative American Blessing of the Earth,\u201d followed by a bird-of-prey live show, cultural demonstrations, performances, sustainable crafts, and environmentally themed giveaways and displays sponsored by the port\u2019s Environmental Management Division.<\/p>\n Festivities will also include international dances and entertainment, including a live Earth Day-themed art project.<\/p>\n City Plants, a program funded by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, will provide a limited supply of free fruit trees for Los Angeles residents, and port engineers will offer guided tours spotlighting sustainable design features, including green engineering and drought-tolerant plants. Free mulch and compost will be available for all attendees, and food and snacks will be available for purchase.<\/p>\n Ride-sharing is recommended as parking at the venue is limited.<\/p>\n The Wilmington Waterfront Promenade, part of the port\u2019s L.A. Waterfront that includes San Pedro, is next to Banning\u2019s Landing Community Center and free parking is available in the east lot with street parking along Fries Avenue, Water Street and Avalon Boulevard.<\/p>\n The next phase of the waterfront on the Wilmington side \u2014 a 380-foot-long pedestrian bridge tentatively set to open in a little more than two years \u2014 is underway after a ceremonial groundbreaking<\/a> took place in February.<\/p>\n The $152 million Avalon Pedestrian Bridge and Gateway Project will be a signature part of Wilmington\u2019s new recreational waterfront.<\/p>\n