Thousands turn out for fifth annual Summerlin Earthfaire

More than 10,000 valley residents attended the fifth annual Summerlin Earthfaire on April 19 at Summerlin Centre Community Park. The outdoor festival, which featured more than 75 environmental organizations, also included a full schedule of entertainment, environmental exhibits, displays and special attractions.

Mad Science helped children conduct hands-on, learning science experiments; the UNLV Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners helped children experience the fun of flower planting with flowers donated by Lowe's; Las Vegas Metropolitan Police K-9 Unit showcased its highly trained four-legged members; Joe Krathwohl, the Birdman of Las Vegas, performed with several of his winged stars; Epic recording artist, Anna Nalick, presented by MIX 94.1, sang a half dozen of her most popular songs; and City of the World assisted children with creating art from recycled materials.

The Lied Animal Shelter brought a variety of dogs that were successfully adopted; and the National Wild Horse Association showcased a wild horse and burro that have been protected through their organization.

According to Nikkole Liesse, director of marketing for The Howard Hughes Corp., developer of Summerlin, Summerlin Earthfaire has grown into the Las Vegas Valley's largest Earth Day celebration.

"The number of environmental organizations has more than doubled since its beginning in 2004, and the event continues to attract larger crowds every year," she said.

"This year was our biggest yet. The whole green movement has made Earthfaire even more popular with Las Vegans interested in learning more about the environment and what they can do to go green," Liesse said.

Tom Warden, senior vice president of community and government relations for The Howard Hughes Corp., said the developer takes its responsibilities as steward of the environment very seriously.

"Along with Summerlin and its home builders, we are proud to host this event. Earthfaire features the valley's largest collection of environmental groups and organizations in one place. It's an impressive gathering of those committed to environmental education," Warden said.

In addition to The Howard Hughes Corp. and Summerlin, major sponsors this year included Republic Services; KMXB-FM, 94.1; KTNV-TV, Channel 13; The Home News; Cox Communications; Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay and Boston Cleaners.

Summerlin began to take shape in 1990 when there was very little developed land on the west rim of the valley beyond Buffalo Drive. Carved mostly out of raw desert, Summerlin encompasses 22,500 acres with about 9,000 acres still remaining to accommodate future growth within the master plan, including the community's urban core of Summerlin Centre.

Summerlin is home to more than 95,000 residents who have access to amenities. They include more than 100 neighborhood and village parks, more than 150 completed miles of the Summerlin trail system, nine golf courses, a dozen houses of worship, shopping centers, medical and cultural facilities, business parks, 22 public and private schools and nearly 100 actively selling floor plans.

Homes are available in a variety of styles -- from single-family homes to townhomes, condominiums and lofts -- priced from the mid-$200,000s to more than $2 million.

Custom home sites in The Ridges are priced from the $500,000s. Luxury apartment homes offer monthly rents starting from the $900s.

For more information, visit summerlin.com or call 888-898-5015.