Riverbank’s Seventh Annual Beyond Earth Day will be observed on Saturday, April 27 at Jacob Myers Park in Riverbank from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This free community event will host a variety of entertainment for the entire family. Parking is limited so there will be parking available at Galaxy Theatres, 2525 Patterson Road where a clean natural gas bus will shuttle people back and forth.

The Rubber Duck Race on the river will have five heats and the Fire Department will be there to help retrieve the ducks. This year they have more activities for the kids at the park as well, in celebration of Earth Day, which fell on April 22.

The Boy Scouts will be adventure docents providing nature walks to guests at the park, which includes walking trails along the river.

Beyond Earth Day in Riverbank is an annual Earth-friendly community event designed to empower, inspire, and inform individuals in becoming active, responsible stewards and caretakers of planet Earth.

While Beyond Earth Day is just once a year, organizers said it is their “hope that the knowledge and resources gained will be put into action in our everyday decisions about how we live, what products we buy, what foods we eat, how we transport ourselves, how much waste we generate, and how we dispose of that waste.”

Dotty Nygard has served as coordinator for the event now for the past four years.

Among the many activities, there will also be Riverbank Beyond Earth Day youth contests, with a Poster Contest in several age groups (5-6, 7-9, 10-13, 14-18) and a Green Project category for entries from a youth group, class or youth civic organization.

Poster Contest and Green Project Themes: Must be “green” or how we can make our planet a better place to live by recycling, reusing, reducing, replenishing, and rethinking how we can take care of Mother Nature. One first place poster winner will be awarded in each age category and posters need to be submitted by 1 p.m. Saturday at the Beyond Earth Day event. Two first place winners in the green project category will receive gift cards. Projects need to be submitted and set up by 11 a.m. the day of event. Winners of both the poster and green project contests will be announced at the closing of the event.