Murfreesboro Electric presents 17th Annual Earth Day Celebration
Join Murfreesboro Electric Department from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 21st at the historic downtown square for the 17th Annual Earth Day Celebration, which carries this year’s theme – “Extreme Weather! Stay Aware and be Prepared.”
“Most Murfreesboro residents know how to prepare for a severe thunderstorm or tornado, but those aren’t the only forms of dangerous weather that threaten our area,” said Amy Byers, 2018 Earth Day Celebration Committee Chair and Murfreesboro Electric Director of Marketing. “The Earth Day Celebration is a great place to learn how to prepare for all kinds of weather events and have fun at the same time!”
The zero-waste event is free thanks to sponsors like Murfreesboro Electric, General Mills, Kroger and Lewis Brothers Bakery, who provides popcorn, hot dogs and cookies baked by Siegel High School culinary students.
More than 30 businesses and organizations will participate in the celebration, including the Tennessee Valley Authority’s river management team.
Kids can enjoy sports inflatables, sponsored by Murfreesboro City Schools ESP Program, and temporary tattooing. Murfreesboro Electric’s mascot, Louie the Lightning Bug, and the Consolidated Utility District’s mascot, Wally Water, will make appearances. Also, Murfreesboro Electric will be giving away 500 free flowering dogwood saplings.
The celebration will feature live music, including Scales Elementary School’s steel drum band, Steel De Boro at 10 a.m. The Johnny Richeson Trio — a group featuring guitar, bass and drums — will perform at 11 a.m. Veteran guitarist, songwriter and producer Rick Armentrout will perform at noon. Hailing from D.C., Armentrout came to Nashville in 1995, and he has produced numerous events and benefit shows for greats such as B.B. King. At 1 p.m., local drum and percussions group, Creative Rhythm will conclude the musical entertainment.
There is also a contest encouraging local students to promote awareness of storm safety and of being prepared for a weather incident. Students of Murfreesboro City Schools and Rutherford County Schools submitted public service announcements about the topics, and winners will be announced at 12:45 during the celebration.
Murfreesboro Electric Department will have a bucket truck and linemen teaching about how extreme weather events affect power supply. An energy advisor will teach about the impact weather has on electrical use in the home and how it increases electric bills. Hands-on displays will show where homes use the most energy and how to be more energy efficient.
“We want to thank all the sponsors who make Murfreesboro’s Earth Day Celebration great,” said Byers. Sponsors include the Murfreesboro Electric Department, Rutherford County, the City of Murfreesboro, General Mills, Kroger, Lewis Brothers Bakery, the Tennessee Valley Authority, Max Shred, Clark Iron and Metal, and Stones River Recycling.
For more information, visit the 2018 Earth Day Celebration Facebook page at Facebook.com/MurfreesboroEarthDay. Or, contact Celebration Committee Chair Amy Byers by calling 615-494-0407 or emailing marketing@medtn.com. In the event of heavy rain, the celebration will move to Patterson Park Community Center, 721 Mercury Blvd., Murfreesboro.
