WILL SEBERGER/Arizona Daily Wildcat Clay Adams, who refers to himself as "Black Man Clay", plays recorders through his noise while dancing in the Earth Day Parade held downtown on Saturday near Armory Park and the Tucson Children's Museum.

Exhibits, parade, music all part of downtown festival

Wilbur and Wilma Wildcat joined more than 2,000 Tucsonans for the 2003 Earth Day Festival and Parade downtown Saturday.

The event, held three days before tomorrow's Earth Day, was a chance for Kristina Sides, 8, and her sister Stephanie, 6, of Tucson, to entertain themselves with a mock desert and river exhibit

"This is really fun. It teaches you to recycle things and don't litter," Kristina Sides said.

WILL SEBERGER/Arizona Daily Wildcat Kristina Sides, 8, plays with sand to discover effects of erosion caused by water. The hands-on learning was part of the Earth Day events held on Saturday.

"Yeah and it shows you to keep things really nice and clean and pretty," Stephanie Sides said.

The festivities also included a parade consisting of floats and groups from various organizations, including the Boy Scouts, Brownies, Tucson Electric Power and Sun Tran.

All floats used alternative fuel or non-motorized vehicles.

Musical acts also entertained the crowd.

Performer "Black man" Clay Adams marched in the parade playing several instruments. At one point Adams played three flutes at once.

"Music makes people smile," said Adams, who simultaneously played a slide whistle in his mouth and two recorders in his nose, one in each nostril.

The festival, which was put on by the Tucson Parks Foundation, was partially sponsored by Home Depot. Some UA

Mark it UA's Earth Day celebration will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday on the Mall, and will include speakers, exhibits, and nature walks. Contact Facilities Management at 624-3068 for more information.

students however, showed up at the festival downtown to protest one of its other sponsors, Raytheon.

"Raytheon's weapons destroy the Earth, not protect it. We want to make sure the public is aware of this," said Erica Watson, a creative writing freshman and a member Tucson Friends of the Earth and The Peace Action Coalition.

"The idea of Raytheon sponsoring this is ludicrous," said Nathan Dunn, a physics sophomore and a member Tucson Friends of the Earth and the Peace Action Coalition. "They don't put Earth first, they are trying to get their image cleaner.

Raytheon officials could not be reached for comment during the weekend, but according to Raytheon's Web site, the company participates in the Earth Day Festival "to help involve and educate over 2,000 attendees about the importance of caring for the Earth."

Earth Day, co-founded by John McConnell and former U.S senator Gaylord Nelson, was first celebrated in 1970.