The community is invited to a wellness event for the body, mind, and planet with Winter Park’s Ward & Wellbeing Earth Day Block Party, happening Saturday, April 27, at Ward Park, located at 250 Perth Ln.
The city’s Natural Resources & Sustainability Department, Keep Winter Park Beautiful & Sustainable Advisory Board, and the Center for Health & Wellbeing are co-hosting a schedule that will kick off with the 31st Run for the Trees Jeannette Genius McKean Memorial 5K. Participants will run a course that includes a mile on Genius Drive; the old Florida wilderness road only opened to the public for this run. Start time is at 7:30 a.m. and information is available at trackshack.com. Participants will each receive a one-gallon containerized tree to brighten their own natural habitat, and are encouraged to bring their old running shoes to recycle with Track Shack through the Sneaker Seekers program.
After the 5K, the Earth Day Block Party will run from 8-11:30 a.m. with family-friendly activities in Ward Park and at the Center for Health & Wellbeing, located at 2005 Mizell Ave. Certified arborists from the city’s Urban Forestry Division will be available to answer questions and the winners of the Keep Winter Park Beautiful & Sustainable Green School Grant Program and Green Business Recognition Program honorees will be announced starting at 9 a.m. in The Commons at the Center for Health & Wellbeing.
The following activities will be hosted at Ward Park:
- electric lawn care demonstrations
- electric vehicles car show
- vendors
- family-friendly art projects
- Free Kona Ice and face painting
- wild animal meet & greet
The following activities will be hosted at the Center for Health & Wellbeing:
- Crosby Wellness Center tours
- family art project with local artist, Liz Kitchens
- microgreens growing kit workshop with Lifestyle Medicine Physician, Dr. Laura Varich
- musical fun with a drum circle and instrument “petting zoo” by Central Florida Community Arts
- pop-up shop with local vendors and green products
- family yoga
- crystal sound bowl meditation
Parking will be available at the following locations:
- Brookshire Elementary
- Cady Way Park
- Center for Health & Wellbeing parking garage
- Ward Park lot and fields B and C
- Winter Park Presbyterian Church
Log onto cityofwinterpark.org/earthday or call 407-599-3364 for more information.