Hug a tree. Save a whale.

Yesterday brought the annual Earth Day celebration in Forest Park. The weather was just perfect and the crowd was large.

I don't like the direction our festival is taking. It seems more corporate and tightly controlled. Much less wacky spontaneous activity. I remember seeing a powerful man in a silk suit doing tai chi with himself in a central area; young people performing capoeira, the Brazilian martial art/dance form, on the sidewalk; three young men playing banjo, guitar and fiddle, without authorization and just for fun; a woman in flowing robes standing by a sign that read "Free Hugs"; a veritable encampment of the faeries from the Renaissance Faire; a full service bar. Everything like this is gone.

Now we find booth after booth just trying to sell something or promote an organization. They have always been there but now there is little relief. Most of the entertainment is pretty tame. It has lost some of its fun and charm. Still, there are always interesting people.