After a two-year hiatus, the local music and arts festival, Earth Day Jam will return Saturday, April 28.

The family-friendly festival, which benefits Happy Roots and its community projects, is scheduled from noon to midnight at Dark Before Dawn Farm, 2100 Seventh St. Extension.

This year, Earth Day Jam will feature 12 bands performing on two stages.

The festival celebrates Earth Day with local food (Rusty Roots, Mambo On Ruedas, Wild Turkey Farms’ Little Red Wagon, Buttabeans Vegan Burritos, The Chill Natural Shave Ice, and more) and crafts brews (New Sarum Brewing Company), more than 30 vendors and environmental education booths, a kids area and lots of live music.

Earth Day Jam was founded in 2012 by Ashley Honbarrier and Stacey Carter. It was held annually for four years, with proceeds benefiting the LandTrust for Central North Carolina. In 2015, the jam raised more than $9,000 for LandTrust and attracted more than 2,000 people.

During its two-year break, Carter and Honbarrier formed Happy Roots, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide nature-based therapeutic and education services to enhance the wellness of the community and the environment.

Earth Day Jam features national and regional touring acts, as well as some of Salisbury’s own finest musical talent.
“This family-friendly event will bring musical diversity, artists, vendors, environmental educators and children’s activities to Salisbury continuing an Earth Day tradition that benefits the community and the environment,” Happy Roots said in a news release.

Yarn (onstage at 9 p.m.), one of Earth Day Jam’s headlining acts, is n Americana/roots band from Brooklyn and has shared the stage with Dwight Yoakam, Charlie Daniels, Allison Krauss, Leon Russell, Jim Lauderdale and the Lumineers. Yarn’s second album, “Empty Pockets,” which peaked at No. 5 on the Americana Music Association charts, was honored with eight Grammy nominations.

Also featured artists are Atlanta’s jazz fusion group, The 4 Korners (4:30 p.m.), as well as North Carolina’s own The Lilly Brothers (3 p.m.). One of the most anticipated acts of the day is super group, The Camel City Collective (6:30 p.m.), an ensemble of professional guest musicians from other acts put together by leader Bill Stevens of Ovation Sound Studio.

Some guest musicians this year are jazz/R&B vocal extraordinaire Nishah DiMeo, Billy Cardine (Acoustic Syndicate, The Billy Sea, Lovers Leap), Nick Baglio (Jeanne Jolly, The Hot at Nights, Grammy nominated The Foreign Exchange), Joey Rayfield (Prince & The New Power Generation), and many more. Charlotte’s Moses Jones kicks off the “Planetary Jams (noon). For complete schedule, festival and ticket information visit www.facebook.com/EarthDayJam and www.earthdayjamnc.com

2018 primary sponsor: Power Home Solar, solar panel manufacturer in Mooresville. The festival also relies on other corporate and private donations, along with more than 50 volunteers.