CARLSBAD—The Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation is celebrating World Water Day early this year on March 14.
A festival will be held at the Discovery Center from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to educate the public about local water organizations and conservation efforts.
The ninth annual festival will have music, arts and crafts and water-related vendors to educate visitors of all ages.
According to Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation’s Discovery Center Operations Director Samantha Richter, the arts and crafts will be made using sustainable materials.
Another portion of the festival is the Tip Top Fun Run sponsored by Tip Top Meats.
Participants can choose between a 5K or a 10K run with starting points around the lagoon.
The run began in 2007 as a way to celebrate the eradication of a killer algae (Caulerpa Taxifolia), which threatened the health and recreational use of the lagoon.
The run costs $50 for a single entry and $75 for a dual entry.
Members of the foundation get a discounted rate, $30 for a single and $50 for a dual entry.
The proceeds all go towards the environmental stewardship program at the Discovery Center.
Third graders in the Carlsbad Unified School District come to the center to learn about the lagoon and environmental sustainability.
Just one race entry funds three children’s admittance to the stewardship program, according to Richter.
The festival at the Discovery Center is free.
Rubio’s will educate visitors about their sustainable seafood practices and representatives from Poseidon Water will talk about the water desalination plant, which is under construction.
The plant is expected to begin delivering water to San Diego County by this November and will be the largest desalination plant in the western hemisphere.
Researchers from the Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute will also be at the festival to educate visitors about their White Sea bass hatchery.
Other vendors include I Love a Clean San Diego, H2O Trash Patrol, Encina Wastewater Authority, Weston Solutions, SDG&E, Rain Barrels and more.
World Water Day is celebrated internationally March 22 but the foundation moved the festival up because of scheduling conflicts with other races, according to Richter.
The race begins at 8:30 a.m. and entry includes a lunch from Tip Top Meats.
The Discovery Center is located at 1580 Cannon Road and participants can sign up for the race online at lagoon.aguahedionda.org.