Shared philosophy: Summerlin to host Earthfaire

The public is invited to Summerlin Earthfaire, the biggest Earth Day celebration in the Las Vegas Valley, next Saturday in Summerlin. The master-planned community and its home builders, along with support from major sponsors such as The Howard Hughes Corp., Pulte Homes, Cox Communications, View neighborhood publications, Nevada Power Co. and Southern Nevada Water Authority, will host the free event.

"We feel a responsibility to promote Earth-friendly messages and are excited about this upcoming event," said Kim Haley, a marketing executive for Hughes Corp., developer of Summerlin. "We invite the entire valley to join with us to celebrate the Earth and learn more about how we can all be better citizens of the environment."

The outdoor festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Summerlin Centre Community Park on Town Center Drive, between West Sahara Avenue and West Charleston Boulevard. Refreshments will be available for purchase.

The festivities will include live musical entertainment, environmental exhibits and art, and activities for children. In addition, there will be displays from more than 30 community groups, including Friends of Red Rock, Bureau of Land Management, The Tortoise Group, Desert Research Institute, Red Rock Audubon Society, Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve, Outside Las Vegas, The Nature Conservancy, Sierra Club, and the Las Vegas Wash Coordination Committee.

The Southern Nevada Zoological-Botanical Park will have reptiles and other desert creatures on display, and the Lied Animal Shelter will have pets for adoption.

Special attractions will include hands-on science activities for children, as well as a planting activity in which children and their parents will learn how to plant in the desert. Star Nursery has donated 2,000 flowers for the activity. Children will also enjoy a tale from a storyteller, and learn how to create art from recycled materials.

Tom Warden, vice president of government and community relations for Hughes Corp., said Summerlin has a history as an environmentally friendly community.

"Most recently, Summerlin became an Energy Star community in which all new homes must comply with the (Environmental Protection Agency's) Energy Star guidelines. Summerlin was also the first community in Las Vegas to implement communitywide water conservation guidelines in cooperation with the Southern Nevada Water Authority."

Additional event sponsors include Sprint, Toll Bros. and Woodside Homes.

Summerlin aligns the western edge of the Las Vegas Valley, and is comprised of villages. The community is home to several golf courses, more than 100 parks and more than 100 miles of trails, in addition to 17 schools, houses of worship, shopping centers, medical facilities, cultural facilities and business parks.

Nearly 120 model homes showcase available single-family homes, townhomes and condominiums that are priced from the high $200,000s to more than $700,000. Custom-home sites are priced from the high $500,000s to more than $1 million, and predesigned custom homes are priced from $2.1 million. Monthly rent for apartments starts from the low $800s.

For more information, visit www.reviewjournal.com/real estate and click on the Summerlin link.

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