OCEANSIDE — A 10-foot yellow duck will mark the location of the first annual Beach Fest at Harbor Beach, and the turn around point for the day’s 3k open water swim.
The swim to the giant duck and back is one a dozen activities planned for the event.
There will also be a beach clean up, paddleboard trash patrol, and nonprofit booths to inform people on how to stay involved in local ecology efforts.
The goal of the city sponsored Beach Fest is to nudge people to take stock of their lifestyle, and do one more thing to benefit the Earth. Information about zero waste will be shared by I Love a Clean San Diego, Surfrider Foundation, Oceanside Outrigger Canoe Club, H2O Trash Patrol, EcoRooted, and Green Oceanside.
“We all work towards the same goal,” Jenna Roripaugh, city zero waste team environmental specialist, said.
Yoga, sand art, and an aerial photo of festivalgoers collectively forming a peace sign will also be part of the fun.
Additionally the day will include live music by eco-friendly bands.
Barnwell Global Power Shift will headline the entertainment line up. Band member Josh Weigel owns the Living Tea Brewing Company Organic Kombucha shop in Oceanside. Weigel said he’s in the habit of thinking about the food sources he selects and waste he creates in order to make the best choices for himself and the environment.
He added living by the ocean adds incentive to be mindful and take care of the planet, which is the message of the event.
Fellow festival performers and nonprofits also live and promote an earth-friendly lifestyle.
Roripaugh said simple steps everyone can take are to pack in, pack out when they visit a beach or park, and bring drinks in reusable water bottles instead of disposable containers.
“It’s becoming more mainstream (to be environmentally conscious),” Roripaugh said.
She added it’s everyone’s responsibility to keep beaches clean.
Oceanside is working towards reaching the state mandated goal to reduce city trash that goes into landfills by 75 percent.
One way the city has tackled this issue is by providing one to one trash and recycling containers along its beaches, which puts recycling at people’s fingertips.
The Beach Fest will be held June 6, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the harbor south jetty.
