 | | | Both days will feature free live music on four stages. Photo Gint Federas | | | | | | Children who have never experienced an earthquake and adults new to California will have the opportunity to learn what to expect when the "big one" comes in the world's largest mobile earthquake simulator at the Lafayette Art and Wine Festival Sept. 19-20. The simulator can recreate the intense shaking of an earthquake up to a magnitude of 8.0. "The simulations are the most extreme and realistic experiences you will get other than the forces of Mother Nature herself," says the president of Big Shaker.
The simulator is 20 feet long, weighs approximately 6,500 pounds and features a sophisticated hydraulics system, specifically engineered to simulate varying degrees of earthquake intensity. It has been outfitted with furnishings to replicate a typical living room; some of the contents have been secured while others have not, and when the simulator shakes it recreates conditions similar to those that would be experienced in a home earthquake. The goal of the Big Shaker is to demonstrate what an earthquake can feel like and show what can happen to household possessions if they are not secured.
While most of residents cannot change the downtown buildings, the freeway, or BART tracks, they can avoid damage to possessions and personal injury on the inside of their homes by securing items such as upright pieces of furniture, books on high shelves, and glass on the walls. The Big Shaker is sponsored by the Lafayette Emergency Preparedness Commission.
Festival Food, Music and Fun
The 2015 Lafayette Art and Wine Festival - which includes music with four live stages, 21 cover bands, over 260 artist booths, a KidZone, and great food - will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19 and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20 in downtown Lafayette, just steps from the Lafayette BART station, near bike trails (complimentary valet bike parking provided), two blocks off Hwy 24, and an easy walk/shuttle from complimentary festival parking. Dozens of food vendors and food trucks will offer everything from hickory smoked pulled pork tacos to crab cakes, while popular wines, beers and ales are served throughout the festival. The Premium Wine and Craft Beer Pavilion will feature selections of high-end wines and craft beer that most people never get a chance to taste, including wines from the backyard vineyards of Lamorinda. The event is produced by the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the City of Lafayette and Eckerstrom Productions.
For more information, visit www.lafayettefestival.com. For a schedule of concerts, visit lafayettefestival.com/music.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA