COLUMBIA (WACH, AP) -- The city of Columbia is celebrating the environment and green energy at a downtown festival.

Earth Fest 2011 took place Tuesday at the Columbia Museum of Art's Boyd Plaza.

The event shed light on the many steps already being taken in the Midlands towards a more responsible Columbia.

"We can take frying grease and turn it into fuel for those trucks," says Ryan Nevius of Sustainable Midlands.  "We've replaced the lighting in a lot of the city buildings to save over $200,000 a year in electric costs, so there are many, many things that have happened.

There were environmental information displays, music, food and a fleet of energy efficient vehicles. The University of South Carolina also displayed its H2 hydrogen hybrid shuttle bus.

The museum is also conducting a solar panel demonstration. The museum recently installed solar panels on its roof to help reduce energy costs.

The event is free and open to the public.

Click here to visit the Sustainable Midlands website to find ways you can help the environment.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)