Chelan Earth Day Fair draws families to Riverwalk Park

CHELAN — Riverwalk Park filled with music, color and a steady flow of families on Saturday, April 18 as the 37th annual Chelan Earth Day Fair returned to the lakeside.

At the park entrance, children lined up to choose nature-themed temporary tattoos, with Chelan Parks and Recreation Director Audrey Cooper and Human Resources and Communications Director Chad Coltman greeting families and applying designs. Community Development Director John Ajax later joined the station, adding to the city’s visible presence at the event.

Across the park, booths from local organizations and agencies created a patchwork of activity, from environmental education to hands-on demonstrations. Winton Manufacturing, Chelan County PUD, Link Transit, NCW Libraries and the Chelan Valley Community Nurse were among those set up throughout the day, alongside community groups like the Chelan Valley Feral Cat Project and the Manson Dark Sky Initiative.

Chelan Rotary’s recycling and zero-waste station once again served as a hub for eventgoers looking to sort waste responsibly, with Rotary a familiar presence at large gatherings across the valley.

That effort reflects a broader shift taking hold across Chelan and Douglas counties, where waste reduction at public events is becoming an expectation rather than an extra step. State requirements now call for many businesses and large gatherings to separate organic materials for composting, part of a wider push to treat food and packaging waste as something to be managed and reused, not simply thrown away.

In that context, booths like Rotary’s serve as both a practical tool and a public-facing example, helping people navigate the process in real time while reinforcing habits that organizers hope will carry beyond a single event.

Music from the main stage carried through the park as visitors moved between booths and vendors. Jeff McLaren opened the day, followed by Brittany Jean and finally the Kevin Jones Band, providing a steady soundtrack to the afternoon crowd.

Throughout the park, people drifted from table to table with plates of potstickers, bags of kettle corn and bright clouds of cotton candy in hand. Nearby, others paused to browse handmade arts and crafts or examine intricately built model sailboats displayed among the vendor booths.

Children moved easily between it all, stopping to try games set up across the grass. At one station, a young boy squared up over a cornhole board, sending beanbags cleanly into the target as a small crowd of family members looked on.

The setting did much of the work. Under clear skies and warm spring sun, visitors lingered along the Riverwalk paths, where ducks moved lazily through the water and early blooms lined the park. Tulips and budding apple blossoms framed the scene, giving the afternoon the easy, unhurried feel of a community settling into the season.

Food vendors and market booths kept people lingering, while plant starts, books and handmade goods reflected the fair’s blend of sustainability and local culture.

Held each spring at Riverwalk Park, the Chelan Earth Day Fair continues to draw residents and visitors for a day that mixes education, celebration and a shared connection to the landscape that defines the valley.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media