Earth Day is nearly here — it’s Friday, April 22 — and Nashville once again will celebrate in a big way, at the annual Earth Day Festival, a free, daylong event that’ll go down Saturday, April 23 in Centennial Park.
The festival, fittingly, is partly educational; you’ll be able to take in exhibits and take part in activities that’ll leave you with tips and tidbits about leading toward a healthier world and living a greener life. But it’s as celebratory as it is informational, with lots baked in that’ll be spring, sunny-park-day fun too.
Another fine point worth mentioning: admission is free, so you’ll have a hard time finding a better Saturday afternoon bang for your buck.
Thinking about using your weekend to celebrate the planet? Here’s a quick breakdown of what you can get into at Nashville’s Earth Day Festival:
Learning
The crop of non-profits, government agencies and eco-focused businesses and groups set for Nashville’s Earth Day Festival is massive and impressive, and all of those folks will be sharing information about what they do and what you can do to be a better steward of the planet.
Among the dozens of exhibitors at the fest: volunteer coordinating organization Hands On Nashville, Nashville Animal Advocacy, Nashville Tree Foundation, Greenways for Nashville, in-the-works and healthy-living-focused West Nashville community oneC1TY, Walk Bike Nashville and many, many more.
Contributing
Naturally, an eco-focused festival is going to work in easy ways to flex some eco-friendliness.
— Have some recyclables/things you need to dispose of? The fest offers drop-off opportunities, so you can responsibly free up some space. That includes the option to properly recycle electronics, like old cell phones and laptops, and safely dispose of unused/expired pharmaceuticals.
— Driven to help hungry neighbors? Community Food Advocates will be on site accepting donations of canned fruit and vegetables, plus dry goods (rice, nuts, pasta).
— Have clothes/shoes you don’t want or need anymore? Goodwill’s set to be at the fest too, accepting donations. (Books are welcome too.)
Celebrating/shopping
Every year, the fest includes a Green Market that gives attendees a chance to shop for clothing, food and more, all with a fitting Earth Day Festival slant: The items up for grabs are local, organic, sometimes both, and it’s a producer only market, which means everything you buy there is made/grown by the folks selling it to you. You’ll be able to grab local jam, beauty products and candles and lots more.
Being in Nashville, they’re not gonna skip out on live music. But this fest has a more eclectic lineup than you’ll find at just about any other Nashville festival, from the sounds backing Polynesian and Chinese dance troupes to socially conscious kids music provider Mr. Steve, The Music Man and virtuosic folk trio/Nashville transplants The Wood Brothers (pictured above).
Centennial Park is located at 2500 West End Avenue, and the fest runs 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. It’s a welcoming hang for Nashvillians of all ages, and there’s definitely enough happening to fill up the better part of an afternoon.
Visit the Nashville Earth Day Festival website for more details.
If you make it out, we’d love to see your snapshots — tag us on Instagram or Twitter!