SFA Gardens at Stephen F. Austin State University will host “Solar Saturday” in conjunction with its annual Fabulous Fall Festival Plant Sale on Saturday, Oct. 4, at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St.
“Solar Saturday” will begin at 10:30 a.m. with a dedication ceremony celebrating the solar array installation on the roof of the recently opened Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building in the Pineywoods Native Plant Center.
The solar array was made possible by a $30,000 grant from the Green Mountain Energy Sun Club program of Green Mountain Energy, the longest-serving renewable energy retailer in the U.S. It is expected to offset as much as 80 percent of the building’s energy usage, as well as help educate the facility’s thousands of annual visitors about solar energy. The Sun Club is a unique program that enables Green Mountain Energy Company’s residential customers, employees and supporters to donate solar technology to nonprofit organizations, including colleges and universities.
Other festivities planned for the day include a performance by SFA Charter School students of “Let the Sun Shine In,” a sunny, silly play written by the Green Mountain Energy Sun Club. “The fifth-graders are very excited about presenting the play explaining how a solar array creates electricity,” said Elyce Rodewald, education coordinator for SFA Gardens.
Held in the beautiful setting of the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, visitors to the outdoor festival will be treated to music by the SFA Steel Drum Band, as well as information booths and plenty of fun, sunny educational activities for children to learn about the wonders of solar energy.
“Solar Saturday” activities will coincide with the annual Fabulous Fall Festival Plant Sale, which will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. the same day Parking is available at the nearby Early Childhood Research Center, 2428 Raguet St. For more information about “Solar Saturday,” call (936) 468-5586 or email sfagardens@sfasu.edu.
