Downtown Summerlin to hold Wellness Festival April 7

The Wellness Festival returns to Downtown Summerlin on April 7, with the Tour de Summerlin and Summerlin Half Marathon kicking off the daylong event that also includes Downtown Summerlin’s popular Farmers Market. This family-friendly celebration focuses on health, wellness and fitness and is presented by Summerlin Hospital Medical Center. The Wellness Festival incorporates a speaker series, children’s activities and entertainment while showcasing hallmarks of living in Summerlin that create an active outdoor lifestyle. The daylong event takes place on the Lawn at Downtown Summerlin.

The day kicks off with the Tour de Summerlin, a non-competitive cycling event that runs through the community, and the Summerlin Half Marathon, both starting and ending at Downtown Summerlin. Southern Nevada’s longest-running cycling event, the Tour de Summerlin is now in its 17th year. The 20-mile course kicks off at 9 a.m., the 40-mile course at 8 a.m. and the 80-mile course at 7 a.m. The event benefits Breakaway Cycling, a nonprofit to promote cycling and bike safety to children throughout Southern Nevada. Sponsors include The Howard Hughes Corp., the Element Hotel, McGhie’s Ski Bike &Board, Team AMC, Road ID, Krayvings and Leadership Excursion Co. Registration is $85. To register, visit Summerlin.com.

The ninth annual Summerlin Half Marathon kicks off at 7:15 a.m. The 13.1-mile course includes a scenic tour of several Summerlin villages on the community’s nationally recognized trail system.

A chip-timed walk/run, the Summerlin Half Marathon recognizes both male and female top finishers, and all participants receive medals and shirts. The event benefits the College of Medicine at Roseman University of Health Sciences in Summerlin. Sponsors include The Howard Hughes Corp., American Media Corp., Fabulous Freddy’s and Max Muscle. Registration is $90. To register, visit Summerlin.com.

From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Wellness Festival is the centerpiece of the event. The festival includes health screenings and information on a variety of topics such as hands-only CPR training, stop the bleeding training, blood pressure checks, heart attack and stroke education, childbirth questions and healthy eating tips. Children’s activities include rock climbing, acrobatic demonstrations, face painting, balloon artistry and lawn games. Other participants in the Wellness Festival include Comprehensive Cancer Centers and Fit4Mom. Free fitness classes will be taught throughout the day directed by Fit4Mom, Dance Dynamics, TruFusion, Pre Barre and lululemon.

With a focus on the wellness of planet Earth, numerous environmentally focused organizations also will be in attendance to educate attendees on programs and new technology.

Among these are Green Alliance, Republic Services, The Nature Conservancy, Outside Las Vegas Foundation, CCSD Safe Routes to School Program and Garden Farms.

The Howard Hughes Corp., developer of Summerlin, has a long history of environmental stewardship in Southern Nevada, beginning with two land exchanges that helped to establish and grow Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, protecting it from development.

Summerlin was one of the earliest adopters of low-water-use landscapes and is a model of smart growth principles that include the integration of natural landscapes into development and dual use of arroyos for parks and trails.