Residents of cities throughout much of the Bay Area held events including festivals and clean ups to celebrate the 45th annual Earth Day and promote awareness about worldwide environmental issues.
The biggest festival in the region Saturday was "Earth Day SF" in San Francisco's Mission District at 22nd Street between Mission and Valencia streets, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The festival had workshops, hand-made crafts, food trucks, more than 30 exhibitors, a beer-wine garden, a fashion show of eco-friendly clothing, music provided by seven bands and a kid's zone with sports activities and skills-based classes, organizers said.
A list of scheduled speakers to address environmental topics at Earth Day SF included John Roulac, the chief executive of Nutiva, a producer of organic food, and Stacey Malken, co-founder of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and author of "Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry."
At Earth Day Stinson Beach in Marin County, there was music, dancing, picnicking and a clean up at the southern end of Stinson Beach from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
In Vallejo, the Earth Day celebration had entertainers, door prizes, displays of less-toxic garden products and California plants for sale, starting from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Vallejo Farmer's Market downtown.
In El Cerrito in Contra Costa County, the city had organized a work party of volunteers Saturday morning to pick up trash along the Ohlone Greenway and to plant street trees.
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The city of Oakland was having its annual city-wide clean up for Earth Day, from 9 a.m. to noon, with volunteers expected to visit and clear waste from about 100 sites, according to city officials.
In Emeryville, volunteers were working together to clean the coast in Shoreline Park from 9 a.m. to noon.
The Pacifica Beach Coalition was holding its 11th annual Earth Day clean up beaches from Daly City south to Half Moon Bay in San Mateo County from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
In Santa Cruz, the Earth Day event from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. featured music, a teen documentary film competition, compost workshop, recycled clothing fashion show, wall climbing and a clean up along the San Lorenzo River.
