Earth Festival Brings Back Popular Movie Night and Clothes Swap

Organizers of the fourteenth annual Earth Festival have announced the return of two popular features: Movie Night, and the Community Clothes Swap.

Movie Night, sponsored by Otsego 2000 and Glimmerglass Film Days will feature Paris to Pittsburgh. Directed by Sidney Beaumont and Michael Bonfiglio, this 2018 documentary celebrates how Americans are demanding and developing real solutions to climate change, and how communities around the country have responded to the decision to pull America out of the Paris Accord. Paris to Pittsburgh will be shown on Friday, April 12 at 7pm at the Cooperstown Village Hall Ballroom, located at 22 Main Street, Cooperstown. Admission is free.

Returning for its second year, the Earth Festival Clothing Swap will be held in the school cafeteria during Earth Festival. Lightly used clothing of all kinds, without stains, tears or strong scents can be dropped off at the school cafeteria beginning Saturday morning. Clothing will be put on display in the school cafeteria, and anyone is free to take what they want, no limits.

"Last year's clothing swap was a great success and we're excited to do it again this year," said Angelica Palmer, who organized the swap. "Not only did thousands of garments find new homes with local residents, but many people learned that swapping clothes is an alternative to shopping."

Two hundred people participated in the swap last year. At the end of the day, remaining clothing will be donated to area charities. Palmer asked for community volunteers to help with the swap.

"It takes a community to run this. We'd like people who are dropping off clothes to spend a few minutes helping us organize the clothes, and then they're free to browse," Palmer said. "We'd also like it if people could help us throughout the course of the day."

Anyone interested in volunteering for the clothing swap should contact OCCA at (607) 547-4488. Information about the event can be found at http://occainfo.org/earth-festival/.

Earth Festival is an environmentally focused, interactive event featuring exhibits, workshops, vendors, food and entertainment, all with a fun, earth-friendly twist. Earth Festival will take place on Saturday, April 13, 2019, from 11am to 3pm at Milford Central School. Sponsorship and exhibitor/vendor opportunities are still available.

Earth Festival is made possible through donations by the following: Five Star Subaru, CNY Tent Rental, Otsego 2000, Cooperstown Natural Foods, Farm Credit East, Casella Waste Systems, Rich McCaffery, Delaware Otsego Audubon Society, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Otsego/Schoharie Counties, Otsego Lake Association, Susquehanna Chapter Adirondack Club, Dave Brandt Chapter of Trout Unlimited, and the Country Pride Cheese House.

Founded in 1968, OCCA is a private, non-profit membership group dedicated to promoting the appreciation and sustainable use of Otsego County's natural resources through education, advocacy, resource management, research, planning, and practice. For more information on OCCA, or to donate, visit www.occainfo.org.