NYPA sponsors free solar-powered rock band concert and sculpture contest for Earth Day event at Power Vista Visitors Center

The New York Power Authority is encouraging visitors of all ages to participate in a sculpture contest that will be one of the featured events at its "Every Day is Earth Day" celebration, Saturday, April 27, at the Niagara hydroelectric power plant's admission-free visitors center, the Power Vista.

The sculptures should be made with recyclable materials and can be brought to the event for display now, or on the day of the event. Artistic adults and children are encouraged to be as creative and imaginative as possible, and to draw inspiration from the world around them. Participants in the program get to express their creativity and help save the planet at the same time.

In addition, visitors will be able to enjoy the sounds of Solar Punch, a four-piece band that rocks out on solar-powered instruments. Based in the New York City area, the band uses music to sing about science and the environment. Solar Punch participated in the Climate Solutions Road Tour, a 35-day tour across India to address environmental challenges with climate leadership workshops and creative eco-activism via song, dance and art.

Buffalo fine arts sculptor Lawrence Kinney will serve as judge for NYPA's Earth Day sculpture contest. The most creative sculptor will receive a Discovery Pass for four to the Niagara Falls State Park, which includes admittance to the Maid of the Mist, Cave of the Winds, Observation Tower and Gorge Discovery Center courtesy of New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Prizes will also be awarded for second- and third-place winners.

Kinney and other area environmental artists will also have pieces on display during the Earth Day event.

All sculptures entered into the contest will be displayed in the Power Vista's Community Room during the Earth Day event. Winners will be announced at 3 p.m.

More "green-themed" activities at the family-oriented event include free rides on the Niagara Scenic Trolley between the Power Vista and Gorge Discovery Center, a visit by the Buffalo Zoomobile, face-painting by the YMCA of Lockport's Teen Leaders Club, crafts presented by the State Parks' Interpretive Center and local exhibitors.

In addition to the Earth Day celebration, guests are invited to enjoy the Power Vista's attractions, which include displays and interactive exhibits relating to the production of electricity, energy efficiency and the area's history, as well as views from the observation deck 350 feet above the Niagara River Gorge.

Parking and admission at the Power Vista, located at 5777 Lewiston Road, Lewiston, are always free.

For more information, contact the Niagara Project Power Vista at 716-286-6661 or email [email protected].