Sick of eating processed, corn syrup-laden junk food? Trade in your half-and-half this weekend for some organic vegetable jambalaya. Feeling lame browsing the Internet all day? Browse local, environmentally-friendly vendors, or get crafting instead!

This Sunday, the 22nd annual Earth Day Festival in St. Louis will take place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Held just a few minutes from campus in Forest Park and the Muny’s grounds, the day’s free programming ranges from free massages, live music, freshly-made organic foods and crafts, to a costumed parade and even a “recycling extravaganza.”

Billed as the “oldest and largest Earth Day festival in the Midwest,” the event attracts more than 27,000 people each year. The grounds are divided into “themed neighborhoods” including Arts & Crafts, an Earth Day Cafe and the Farmer’s Market. More than 200 businesses and organizations will participate in this year’s celebration.

Locally crafted natural foods and beverages will be available to sample and purchase—from Schlafly’s Organic Rye Bock brews to healthy, organic fare from Schnuck’s grocery. The cafe’s lineup includes international foods, like Thai and Argentinian options, along with local favorites like Pi Pizzeria. Standouts include custom crepes, kettle corn and freshly-squeezed lemonade. All in all, the festival is host to more than 20 different food and beverage vendors. In addition, all options are free of trans-fat and high-fructose corn syrup.

Local musical and theatrical groups will perform throughout the day. An art area called “Think Outside the Box” will be open to all ages; here you can craft your own personalized recycling-themed container.

Attendees are also invited to partake in the “Earth Day Challenge” by bringing either a reusable bag or refillable water bottle, or using alternative transport to get to the event. Any attendee who meets two of the three criteria will win some eco-swag from the information booth.

This year’s theme, “Be The Change,” reflects one of the new events this year, an all-encompassing recycling program sponsored by the St. Louis Community College campus in Forest Park. The festival’s website claims you can bring in anything from art supplies to bicycles to be recycled (the full list is published online).

If feeling particularly festive, consider celebrating in costume. The “All Species Parade” kicks off the day’s festivities at 11 a.m. Program manager Jeanette Reynolds describes the event as a “collaboration between art and sustainability,” and a “celebration of all species.” Participation is open to the public, and an hour before the parade’s official start, individuals are “invited to express their love for all sorts of species” by crafting props and musical instruments from recycled materials at the Teachers’ Recycle Center.

There are still plenty of other ways to celebrate. The St. Louis Zoo will stage its own activities from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. While many seem geared for the younger set, there are a variety of special “Keeper Chat” presentations scheduled throughout the day—on animals such as Komodo Dragons and the Children’s Zoo Alpacas (which, it should be noted, you’re actually allowed to touch). Other activities include the opportunity to learn to identify native frog calls, and a multitude of craft projects.

Forest Park’s Earth Day Festival is definitely worth the hype. If nothing else, it’s a welcome break from the countless hours of exam cramming.