The “first” RE-fest celebration of green living and clean energy is being planned this summer.

It will be held Saturday, Sept. 20 on the Riverland Community College campus in Austin.

There will be free admission to a wide variety of workshops and exhibits.

In addition, there will be food, music and family fun for all ages.

Also, there will be the opportunity to “RE-think,” “RE-new” and “RE-store,” according to the organizers.

RE-fest will focus on the positive impact individual actions can have on the environment and the reduction of carbon emissions.

The goal of RE-fest is to educate, motivate and encourage.

Participants will learn about the current issues regarding carbon emissions and the impact they have on the environment. They will also learn what clean living and sustainability are all about.

RE-fest will seek to motivate individuals to take action at home that will contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions.

They will also be encouraged to join organizations that support sustainability.

Organizers are planning to make the activities fun-filled beginning with a 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19 musical concert at the Paramount Theatre, featuring Peter Ostroushko, creator and producer of the original soundtrack for the four-part series “Minnesota: A History of the Land.”

Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 at the door.

The Sept. 20, schedule begins at 8:30 a.m. with a solar breakfast. Exhibits open at 9 a.m. or the same time the J.C. Hormel Nature Center 8K run begins.

Workshops will beckon interested participants at 10 a.m. when musical entertainment, featuring Ken Lundquist and David Stokes, among others, will also greet visitors.

A keynote speaker will address the RE-fest audience at 1 p.m. on the Riverland campus.

Winners in the “Sustainable Songwriting” contest will perform at 5 p.m.

Then vendor exhibits shut down at 6 p.m. in preparation for a concert and storytelling by Doug Wood at 7 p.m. Sept. 19, the final event of RE-fest.

RE-fest is a collaborative project of Austin Utilities and Owatonna Public Utilities, CERTS (Clean Energy Resource Teams, Friends of the J.C. Hormel Nature Center and Austin Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department and Riverland Community College.

Also part of the RE-fest activities will be special offers at the Green Living Book Store on the Riverland campus and the screenings of green living movies in the Riverland Movie Room.

For more information, go online to www.re-fest.org.y