SCRANTON, Pa. -- Earth Hour was started by the World Wildlife Fund in Australia more than 10 years ago and a place in Lackawanna County is putting on a unique event to celebrate it.
"Dinner in the Dark is a collaboration with Earth Hour and from 8:30 to 9:30, we're going to turn all the lights off in the restaurant and have dinner in the dark to try to bring awareness to reducing our waste and resources," said Patricia Dickert Nieves of Terra Preta Prime.
On March 24, Terra Preta Prime in downtown Scranton will hold its third year of "Dinner in the Dark."
The restaurant teams up with Pennsylvania Interfaith Power and Light and Temple Hesed to celebrate the event.
Rabbi Daniel Swartz will be there to educate diners about healing the earth.
"The decisions we make today about what kind of energy we use and how we use it will have consequences for people around us for decades to come," said Rabbi Swartz.
"Dinner in the Dark" is not only informational but a lot of fun.
"People are going to have a great meal, they're enjoying themselves, they're learning a little bit, I'll talk a little, we'll have a little prayer reflection," Rabbi Swartz explained.
And being in the dark has its romantic perks.
"We're going to have hundreds of candles lit along the window sills on the table and on the bar top. It's going to be a very beautiful event," Dickert Nieves said.
In addition to its regular dinner menu, there will also be special menu using food and ingredients bought at a local farm.
And Terra Preta Prime doesn't just celebrate earth hour, it helps out the environment all year long.
"In the warmer months, we compost, so any food waste that we can't use in the kitchen we'll send to the local greenhouse at Nay Aug Park. We also try to reduce our waste by using less plastic straws," Dickert Nieves added.
If you want to attend Dinner in the Dark, you can find information on the event at Terra Preta's Facebook page.