LOS ANGELES, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Earth Day was celebrated Tuesday in Los Angeles with a variety of events, including free musical performances and a festival resulted in the closure of a downtown street.

    "Earth Day LA/Car Free Day 2008 in Los Angeles" was held in the day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time. The event featured musical performances by renowned singers Chris Pierce and Michael Franti, appearances by actors and environmental activists Daryl Hannah and Esai Morales, programs by and for children, and more than 100 exhibit booths.

    A stretch of Wilshire Boulevard in downtown Los Angeles was closed in the day to observe Earth Day, with all buses using another street over the closed stretch.

    The city's transportation agency the Metropolitan Transportation Authority hosted a free Earth Day concert by Latin singer Carina Ricco, while the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) held an Earth Day festival featuring more than 35 organizations and businesses, food and activities in its local headquarters.

    Demonstrations of how solar energy can be integrated into daily lives were held at East Los Angeles College, to both celebrate Earth Day and mark the completion of a 9-million-dollar, 1.2-megawatt solar project.

    Meanwhile, Tuesday was the final day of a two-day giveaway of reusable shopping bags at selected stores in Los Angeles.

    The first Earth Day was observed on April 22, 1970, created by late U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson in an attempt to put environmental protection on the national agenda. Some 20 million people participated in protests and rallies on the first Earth Day.