The Eastern Panhandles celebration of mother earth will return to Shepherdstown this weekend, Saturday, April 25.

Morgan’s Grove Park will once again play host to the variety of activities, vendors and musical performances scheduled to be on hand for the day.

Event organizer, Todd Coyle of Earth Vibe Productions, said the panhandle Earth Day was originally organized as a simple day to bring family fun to members of the Shepherdstown and Jefferson County community.

“We wanted to promote local,” he said.

“No one in the county was really celebrating Earth Day,” he said.

“We wanted to do something geared toward local people.”

Coyle said the event is also an opportunity for those interested in the environmental issues to learn more about local organizations and movements. The Potomac Valley Society will be there Saturday. Both the Jefferson and Berkeley County Solid Waster authorities will also attend according to Coyle.

A local citizen is being presented the award for “West Virginia Recycling Champion,” at 3 p.m. by members of the solid waste authority.

Coyle said recycling has become a central theme of this year’s event.

And and assortment of vendors will embody the Earth Day message, selling many handcrafted and locally made goods.

The vendor’s list includes: Yamni Arts , Mountain View Gourds, Bellwethers, Creative Art and Soul, Equator Trade and Tim’s Gems.

Coyle said if you ran across a vender last year, selling anything from up-cycled jewelry or interesting wood carvings, there’s a good chance you’ll them again at this year’s event.

“About 60 or 70 percent are returning vendors,” he said.

The EPTA’s Paint the Pan-Tran bus event will also return as a special event for children.

River Riders will be on hand with a climbing rock wall for kids of all ages and Meadowseet Botanicals is scheduled to hold a herb walk throughout the park.

Earth Day activities will begin at 11 a.m. until 9 .m., rain or shine.

“We pretty much take whatever mother earth gives us,” Coyle said.

Several food and drink vendors will also be at the event. Music will begin at 6 p.m., as art and crafts vendors begin to pack up their wares.

Local bands Tabasco Bustelo, Betty and the B’s and local musician Kipyn Martin, are all booked to perform, among others.

The event is free and open to all members of the public.

To find more information about Earth Day visit their “7th Annual Panhandle Earth Day Celebration,” Facebook page or visit pedc.earthvibeproductions.com/.