A huge crowd turned out for Saturday’s Austin Earth Day Festival. Mueller Lake Park was looking lush and green after an entire week of rain. Temperatures were a little warm in the sun, but quite comfortable in the shade.

The festival offered plenty of earth-friendly activities and entertainment. Vendor and informational booths were set up around the park. Bands and musical groups played on three stages. Food trailers were parked next to the Historic Browning Hangar. One tent was devoted to panel discussions on topics such as Greening your Home and Recycle: It Makes Cents.

Here’s some of the ways that Austinites celebrated Earth Day this year…

We felt at one with the earth while playing bubble soccer.

We thought about our city’s future at the panel discussion, Austin 2050: Green Tech Dreams.

We explored our musical creativity with the Rattletree School of Marimba.

We listened to our favorite Texas swing band, Asleep at the Wheel.

We pondered tiny-but-expandable houses by GroHomes. (Perhaps this concept would work for downtown apartments?)

We painted a colorful mural with local green business, TreeHouse.

We tried to like kale chips.

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