There has been an Arts Festival on the Saturday before Mother's Day for the past 33 years. But for the last three years it has been partnered with the annual Eco-Fair - to the benefit of both. This year, the combined Arts Festival/Eco-Fair will be held on May 7th, rain or shine. Expecting "shine," there will be some 85 vendors of juried pieces of arts and crafts on the west side of Ridgewood Ave. between Woodland and Clark, as well as some 25 tables devoted to eco-friendly products and services in the area of the Train Station. As in the past, the high school parking lot will feature a tent containing student artwork, representatives of civic groups, a police-run dunking booth and animals from the Turtle Back Zoo. On the high school lawn will be the food concession and live entertainment, rounding out the street-festival allure of the day's events.

This year, the Eco-Fair will once again be anchored by Home Depot, which will bring several tables worth of new and noteworthy eco-friendly products, everything from compost bins, rain barrels, and recycling containers to solar panels, double-flush toilets and recycled construction materials. In addition, the retailer will have a station at which children can make birdhouses or picture frames for mother from scrap lumber at no charge. Speaking of mother, several eco-vendors will offer free-trade and natural-fiber gifts for mom, as well as jewelry made from recycled materials. But dads are not forgotten. Various home brewers will be on hand to show how easy it is to brew beer or root beer, using natural techniques and, of course, recycled bottles.

Since spring is the ideal time to get back into nature, other Eco-Fair participants will provide attendees with extensive information on organic and native-plant gardening, lawn and tree care. The president of the local Beekeepers' Association will return with his hive, his award-winning honey, and his fund of information about bee habitats and beekeeping. In addition, this year's fair will feature a table organized by the town's new Shade Tree Commission. Commissioners will be on hand to encourage tree awareness, to kick off their "Adopt/Sponsor-A- Shade Tree" campaign and to hand out free seedlings. Speaking of freebies, the Environmental Advisory Committee will further its recycling campaign by distributing not only information, but also 20-galon recycling bins on a first come, first serve basis.

Obviously, this is a day in Glen Ridge not to be missed!

Freecycling allows residents to give away usable but unwanted items to others instead of disposing of them.

Participation not only aids in waste reduction, it can be a great cost saver for those searching for the ultimate bargain.

Here's how it works:

• Complete and submit the Freecycle Form listing the items you intend to leave out for May's Bulk Waste Pickup Day. Items are to be placed curbside no earlier than 5:00pm Tuesday, May 3, 2011.
  
  
• The items you list will be included in the Freecycle Day Directory on the Borough's website.
  
  
• View the directory to see if there are any items you might want.
  
  
• Participate on Wednesday, May 4, 2011 by picking up the items you want.
  
  
• Unclaimed items will be picked up on Bulk Waste Pickup Day - Thursday, May 5, 2011.