Monday morning, Glendora residents gathered for the annual Glendora Earth Day festival exploring booths, exhibitions and workshops.
As pop music blared from the speakers, volunteers from different nonprofits worked each booth with a variety of different educational brochures, stickers and water bottles.
Other volunteers hosted workshops inside the fitness buildings for people to learn about local conservation work and what the eco-future looks like for Glendora.
Wild Man Dan, officially Daniel Quinones, had his own designated section for his scaly friends.
He had an array of reptiles from poisonous frogs to venomous snakes.
Quinones greeted with a smile as people waved in. He also had a game for visitors to play as well as merchandise of cute stickers and keychains.
His girlfriend, Bianca Iglesias, and their son maintained the sales while Quinones dove into his special interest.
She mentioned that Quinones always had a fascination for different animals as a young child.
“When he was a young kid, before coming into the house he would have to empty his pockets because he always had lizards and other animals in there,” Iglesias said.
When people arrived at his booth, they eyed the snakes with care and fear as Quinones educated them on the difference between poisonous and venomous.
He taught them about the variety of snake species in Southern California, from the Southern Pacific snake to the Western Diamond.
He also reminded people about the dangers of rattlesnakes in both stages (young and mature) and what to expect after being bitten.
“If your friend ever tries sucking the blood, get a new friend ‘cause he is not your friend,” Quinones said.
He then explained the damage of interfering with a bite before treating it with antivenom, which is the only cure.
More and more people gathered with curiosity as Quinones did what he loved most.
For more information about future educational programs, visit his website for upcoming shows.
Other booths like the Glendora Trails Committee had a booth full of specimens, from raccoons to bumblebees.
The council annually attends the festival and educates people about trail conservation and research.
Mentioned by the volunteers of the council, they host different activities for residents and avid hikers to engage in.
Every last Monday of the month they host community hikes as well as cleanings of the Big Dalton Canyon and South Hills.
They specifically do the cleaning at the beginning of spring and in November.
One of the members, Sue, encouraged people to bring their dogs on the hikes so they could also enjoy the adventure.
For more information about them and upcoming hikes and how to volunteer, visit their website.
On the other side of the festival, many children gathered around to wait in lines for free activities such as face painting, tree planting and horse petting.
Parent and Glendora resident Phil Pasos praised the city for its consistency in upholding eco-friendly values for adults and children.
He said that he has been attending since the beginning of the festival, which first started in the city hall.
“I enjoy the gathering of people, the community, and all the love that’s poured out for the children,” Pasos said. “Every year since ‘91, rain or shine, I have attended. Now my grandkids got their faces painted, and learned about the Earth.”
The City of Glendora did not forget about the people’s appetite. Located by the basketball courts, they had stands where people could purchase corn dogs, pizza, snow cones and a variety of drinks.
Throughout the event, the City of Glendora offered free rides in their new shuttles and had narrated eco-tours around the Little Dalton Wash.
People also had the opportunity to enter a giveaway for the chance to win an Easter basket full of goodies.
As the rainfall continued, Earth Day festival goers left with tote bags full of informative brochures, native seeds and other goodies.
