Inglewood Sunfest gets underway Saturday with new features that could make the community celebration more popular than ever.

Organizers have introduced a family friendly beer garden and are also committed to making the festival more eco-friendly.

Event producer Jennifer Rempel says they expect about 30,000 people to participate this year and all of them are welcome to cool off with a cold drink.

"So you can bring in your child, your dogs, your cousin, your grandma, anyone can come in, and we're actually doing a fruit punch for the kids and we're making it kind of like a rest area that you could just happen to have a drink inside," Rempel said, describing the beer gardens.

Inglewood resident Nicole Estabrooks says she's been waiting all year for the festival, practically counting down the days.

"I am looking forward to a chance to meet up with my neighbours because they are all really funny," Estabrooks said.

​"I am looking forward to seeing some local bands, and actually I am really looking forward to the artisans. There is always lots of cool buy and sell stuff."

Organizers hope to divert more waste and recycling away from the landfill this year.

"We banned styrofoam from our vendors and we ask most people to compost and so we have waste and recycling stations throughout the event," she said.

"Last year we diverted more than 70 per cent from the landfill and this year we'd like to divert more than 80 per cent."

Sunfest is an annual street festival with shopping, live music, food and street performers.

Three blocks of 9th Avenue S.E. are closed for the festival which runs 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.