Oxbow Initiates Procession of the Species for a Science-Art-Nature.
IRL Science Festival will be Oct. 14
- LUCIE COUNTY – St. Lucie County Tourism and the county’s Environmental Resources Department (ERD) are teaming up with the free Indian River Lagoon Science Festival to bring a little panache to the fourth annual event scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 14 in downtown Fort Pierce. The Procession of the Species Celebration is a musical, colorful and delightful public expression of art and celebration of nature. Individuals and groups of all kinds will parade through the event grounds, masquerading as their favorite plant or animal. Costumes, floats and giant puppets will amaze and delight festival-goers.
“The best part, is that anyone can participate,” said Wren Underwood, environmental program and ecotourism coordinator with St. Lucie County. “The Procession of the Species is a true community event, where everyone is welcome.”
Clubs, bands, classes, teams, local businesses and governmental agencies are invited to be a part of this free, unique experience.
“One of our long-term goals is to further develop our ecotourism and cultural attractions and events. With the creation of this new signature event that bridges both nature and art – we believe we have a great starting point to build upon,” added Charlotte Bireley, director of tourism and marketing for St. Lucie County.
PARTICIPATE
To participate in the Oct. 14 inaugural Procession of the Species, simply choose your favorite animal or plant, habitat or nature theme. Create a costume, sculpture or larger-than-life puppet, and register your entry at www.StLucieProcession.com. Interested parties may participate as an individual or as a group. Participation is free. Each participant is asked to bring two non-perishable food items for the county’s annual Treasure Coast Food Bank food drive. Be sure to visit www.StLucieProcession.com for rules and details.
. The Procession of the Species embraces environmentally friendly practices by encouraging participants to use repurposed and recycled materials in their costume/sculpture construction.
For those who may need some guidance with the design of their costume/sculpture/puppet, the Oxbow Eco-Center will host a series of Advice from an Artist workshops where members of the public can stop by to chat with a local artist, see costume examples, ask questions and garner ideas regarding materials, designs and techniques. These workshops will take place on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. starting Saturday, Aug. 26 through Saturday, Oct. 7.
For more information about St. Lucie’s Procession of the Species, including costume ideas, photos, registration forms, and Procession rules, visitwww.StLucieProcession.com or contact Wren Underwood at underwoodw@stlucieco.org or 772-785-5833. To learn more about the Indian River Lagoon Science Festival, go to www.irlsciencefest.org
The Oxbow Eco-Center is located at 5400 NE St. James Drive, Port St. Lucie.
