Celebrating Earth Day with Spring Fest

Spring Fest is back! Unificationists in the Northeast are celebrating the environment and all things spring this Earth Day, April 22, with a one-day festival for family and friends of all ages.

“It’s been a while, but Spring Fest is back and going to be better than ever,” says Resfred Arthur, FFWPU USA Northeast secretary general. “It’s a full day of activities where you can join any time from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.,” he shares in a new promotional video for the highly anticipated event.

The Spring Festival, which is being held at the Belvedere estate in Tarrytown, New York, will kick off with a special Earth Day service project. 

“We’re going to repurpose an old greenhouse and turn it into a beautiful, organic vegetable garden,” says Pastor Justin Okamoto of the Belvedere Family Church. “I’m so excited for this — I really want this to be a place where we can bring members, have people bring their friends, and get away from the hustle and business of life and just experience nature and feel the abundance that God has given us.”

Pastor Justin says the cleanup project is the perfect way to observe Earth Day while restoring the functionality of the property. “There’s going to be plenty of work to do,” he says, “so be ready to get your hands dirty and soak up those vitality elements. It’s going to be great.”

With a $5 entrance fee, participants can also enjoy a wide range of other activities at Spring Fest, including photo booths, pony rides, bouncy castles, face painting, and more. The Blessed Culture and Sports Festival (BCSF) will be at Spring Fest to host some friendly competition as well. 

“We’re going to have six-on-six volleyball and three-on-three basketball ... and we’ll see who’s the best in the East,” says BCSF Director Denthew Learey. “And for the first time ever, we’ll be having a chess tournament. So whether you’re a beginner or a grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, or just someone that’s learning chess for the first time, you’re welcome to compete.”

The festival will also feature a talent show, awards ceremony, and Earth Day message from Dr. Sun Jin Moon, executive director of the Hyo Jeong International Foundation for the Unity of the Sciences (HJIFUS). She will share about True Mother’s heart to save the environment and our role as stewards of the creation.

Initiated in 1970, Earth Day has been celebrated by billions of people around the globe annually every April 22 to promote awareness for the health of our environment. Among other eco-friendly endeavors, True Mother founded HJIFUS in 2017 to address environmental issues through various avenues including scientific research, policymaking and education, while uplifting human consciousness and awareness on the value of nature.

You can learn more about Earth Day here, and get more details about Spring Fest here.