SLIPPERY ROCK — The 18th annual Earth Festival at Slippery Rock University will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Robert A. Macoskey Center.

A cooking demo with "The Green Chef" and backyard birding are new at the festival, which is free.

The Zany Umbrella Circus, a Pittsburgh-based circus which uses art as a vehicle for promoting dialogue, will perform two, 90-minute shows.

A bag auction and an appearance by McLaws Drive, a Virginia-based jam band, will also be new, complementing a variety of adult education workshops and children's programs.

All of the activities support the center's mission of promoting sustainability.

Events include:

Workshops, presentations

• 10:30 a.m. Apple tree grafting featuring local orchardist Jack Stupka of Fruitland Acres in Mercer

• 10:30 a.m. Kite making with the Fly! Pittsburgh Kite Club

• 11:30 a.m. Backyard composting: how to turn kitchen and yard waste into a resource with SRU alumnus Carl Hursh, DEP chief of waste reduction and recycling

• 11:30 a.m. Biodiesel forum with a panel of experts to look at turning waste cooking oil into fuel

• 1:30 p.m. Backyard birding, presented by The Birdwatchers Store in Slippery Rock

• 1:30 p.m. Climate change, a regional perspective, featuring SRU's Julie Snow

• 2:30 p.m. Wind and Solar Power: Is it Right for Me? Discover the ins and outs of renewable energy with experts Joe and Lisa DiFrancisco of North Coast Energy Systems

• 2:30 p.m. Green cooking, a live cooking demonstration featuring sustainable cooking tips with "The Green Chef" Kathy Leatham

Other events

• The Farm Animal Fun Exhibition will feature a variety of animals brought by local farmers, including baby goats and horse rides from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A wool spinning demonstration will also run throughout the day.

• The "Know Your Earth" Kid's Challenge will award prizes to contestants who can complete the ecologically themed obstacle course

• The Sustainable Marketplace will feature local businesses with sustainable products for sale

• The Eco-Friendly Transport Exhibit will feature hybrid and biodiesel-fueled vehicles, bike safety info, solar car building for the kids, and more

• The Environmental Health Exhibition will provide information about personal health issues as they relate to environmental toxicity

• The Sustainable Bag Charity Auction is new this year, and will showcase donated items themed to help reduce our impact on the planet

• T-shirt Stamping and Custom Spin-Art Frisbee Making. Make a custom T-shirt or Frisbee as a memento

• Tours of the Macoskey Center will highlight the sustainability features of the center, including a walk-through tour of the new Yurt Project

• Sustainable Food Options will be available, including a variety of organic, pasture-raised, and/or locally sourced items

• Children's Educational Activity Tables, including the Harmony Quilt Project, Building a Sustainable Village, Nature Weaving, and Recycled Art

• Musical entertainment throughout the day