Hang glider simulators, a rock climbing wall, jumping balloon and live butterfly release are just a few of the featured activities at the 11th annual Community Earth Day Fair Saturday (April 30, 2005), 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at the oldest zoo in the Southwest - Alameda Park Zoo – in Alamogordo.

“Small-town family life and its festivals and celebrations form the background of what makes New Mexico and its people unique,” said Michael Cerletti, secretary of the New Mexico Tourism Department. “Family heritage is diverse, but events like Alamogordo’s Community Earth Day Fair bring families together to share good times. I applaud the folks in Alamogordo for their efforts.”

New additions to this year’s event include the “Solar Tour,” an escorted trip to the White Sands National Monument solar installations, leaving at 9 a.m.; and “The Last 2,000 Years in the Southwest: An Archaeological Adventure” by Dr. Eric Blinman, deputy director of the Office of Archaeological Studies at the Department of Cultural Affairs’ Museum of New Mexico, to be presented Friday (April 29, 2005), 6 p.m., at the Alamogordo High School library.

The fair will feature cultural exhibits, offering opportunities to learn about water and environmental issues, alternative fuel vehicles, solar and other forms of renewable energy, low use watering and gardening with native plants. Supervised children`s activities all day include a science fair and a solar car kit contest. In addition, displays from local tourism and recreational entities, such as the Lincoln National Forest, White Sands National Monument and Oliver Lee State Park, will dot the fair landscape. The day will also include entertainment, food and beverage vendors, a one-mile walk, free health screenings and USDA food safety van teaching safe food handling practices.

Admission to the Alameda Park Zoo is free. The zoo features 300 animals representing more than 90 different species. The entrance is located on 10th Street, just west of White Sands Blvd.