Lots of fun activities planned for annual Earth Day festival

Earth Day is upon us once again, and this year's mandatory festival will bring back many beloved traditions, as well as introduce some new activities that are sure to be crowd-pleasers.​

Nelly Waterson, lead organizer for the festival, said in many ways, the festival would be the same event that many attendees know and love.​

"We will still have the musical performances and ceremonial readings from ancient texts that have become hallmarks of Earth Day," Waterson said. "Anyone who has been to previous festivals will immediately feel at home. But this year, we also hope to bring some fresh and exciting new ways to please Mother Earth."​

Waterson said one of the changes this year would be the shape of the ​effigy to be burned in sacrifice.

"Traditionally, we burn an effigy in the likeness of Mother Earth herself," Waterson said. "This year, however, we have modeled the effigy after character actor James Cromwell."​

Attendees of the festival will be given one of thousands of lottery tickets for the annual drawing at the end of the night. 

The festival will also include food, carnival games, cliff diving, and live entertainment.​

"We're very pleased with our line-up of bands, comedians, and cow tamers," Waterson said. "This year, we're also adding several skizzle circles around the festival grounds, so that the younger crowd can praise the Earth in their own way. As one of our planets most sacred holidays, it's important that Earth Day remains a central part of our culture."​

Another change to the festival, according to Waterson, will be the special lottery at the end of the celebration.​

"Every year we hold the same lottery," Waterson said. "It's an integral part of the festival. But this year, we've introduced some new rules and additional prizes."​

Traditionally, winners of the special lottery receive the honor of having their souls merged back into Mother Earth to satisfy her hunger for another year. This year, in addition to the grand prize winners, a select few could win secondary prizes​, including a sacrificial dagger, an iPad, and a year's supply of sheep's blood.

"One lucky participant will also have the opportunity to play executioner this year," Waterson said. "In previous years, people have said that while the human sacrifice is still the reason for the season, it can seem a little underwhelming. This year, ​over one thousand grand prize winners will actually be sacrificed by one of the second place winners, so it will be a little more interesting and wacky."

One lucky winner will take home a beautiful hand-forged sacrificial dagger for their own personal rituals. 

Waterson said she was hopeful that Mother Earth ​would be pleased with the new changes to her festival, and would see fit to bless her subjects when it came time for the Harvest.