Giving Back to the Community: Ridgewood's Daffodil Festival & Earth Day Fair

Celebrating Spring and Sustainability at the Annual Daffodil Festival & Earth Day Fair 

Although a bit chilly, the first signs of spring bloomed with a great turn out at the Annual Daffodil Festival & Earth Day Fair hosted by The Conservancy for Ridgewood Public Lands, Green Ridgewood and the Parks and Recreation Department.  With attendees of all ages, it was a unique and meaningful event supported by nature enthusiasts and members of the community. Incorporating Earth Day into this floral celebration emphasizes a shared responsibility towards preserving our planet and encourages us to appreciate Earth’s natural wonders while advocating for sustainable practices.

Till Horkenbach, longtime Ridgewood resident and Realtor® Sales Associate at Keller Williams Village Square Realty hosted fun activities for all who attended.

Parents and children had the option to participate in a Wildflower Potting activity or Nature Scavenger Hunt. 

With the help of Scott Lief, we were able to teach children the importance of bees, wildflowers and pollination through our potting activity. Our Grand Nature Scavenger Hunt allowed the children to explore and get active while also picking up a small piece of trash in return for Earth Day goodie bags. 

We were planning on giving out pizza, but unfortunately Earth worms got to it before we could, so we decided to make a game out of how many worms ate through our pizza!

Can you guess how many were inside? Best guess won a grand prize! 

“I am proud to support this important and fun event’, says Till. “Earth’s natural resources appear to be abundant, however, if you look closely, you can find many tears in the fabric of today’s fragile natural environment. Raising awareness early in a child’s life is crucial, I think.”

Till himself takes recycling very seriously. Born and raised in Germany, he immigrated 30 years ago into the US. “I remember growing up abroad, how my parents taught me to recycle paper, batteries and various other products. We were able to recycle all kinds of different plastics to keep the waste down. Clear town plastic bags gave the recycling crew the ability to view the trash and to reject and leave behind any trash bag that contained recyclables. I wish we were able to implement this here as well. I am using disposable ‘green’ trash bags.” 

Till admires the efforts of Ridgewood’s recycling center and how it has evolved. “But we can always do more”, he says. “Participating in this fun event and being able to teach children the importance of “Earth Day” is priceless. 

The Annual Daffodil Festival & Earth Day Fair is more than just a celebration; it’s a call to action. It’s an invitation to immerse yourself in the beauty of the season while also embracing the responsibility we all share for sustaining the planet. As we enjoy the beauty of thousands of blooming daffodils, let's remember the importance of our actions and commitments toward a greener, more sustainable world.

This event is a wonderful reminder that every day is Earth Day, and every one of us can make a difference. Here's to celebrating spring, enjoying the beauty of nature, and taking steps toward a sustainable future together.

Click HERE to see last month's event, Easter in the Park