Actor Jeff Bridges and environmentalist/activist Paul Hawken embrace before Mr. Bridges presented Mr. Hawken with the Environmental Hero award during the 2017 Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival at Alameda Park.
After a three-year hiatus, Earth Day will return to Alameda Park on April 29 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and April 30 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., presented by the Community Environmental Council (CEC). This year’s Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival is co-produced with long-time festival partner, CarpEvents.
“The Community Environmental Council is thrilled to return to Alameda Park, co-presenting Santa Barbara’s Earth Day Festival with our longtime partners at CarpEvents,” Kathi King, CEC’s director of climate education and leadership and festival co-director, said in a press release. “By moving the festival to the end of the month, we hoped to encourage the community to support all of the local celebrations happening throughout our region on April 22 and provide a larger opportunity to bring everyone together at Alameda Park on April 29 and 30.”
“We are thrilled to be in a new role with this festival this year and can’t wait to bring tens of thousands of community members to Alameda Park to showcase the innovation happening in eco-focused products, earth-friendly services, and electric vehicles,” Michael Lazaro, CEO of CarpEvents said in a press release.
The 2023 festival, which is free to attend, anticipates all of the fun of past years. Now in its 53rd year, Santa Barbara’s community-organized festival is one of the longest-running Earth Day celebrations in the country and is one of the largest Earth Day festivals on the west coast. Santa Barbara’s reputation as a pioneer in the environmental movement attracts national media, celebrity attention and local crowds. The 2019 festival drew over 30,000 visitors.
Highlights of this year’s event include:
– The longest running Green Car show in the United States that will feature the latest electric and hybrid vehicle technology. Festival-goers can get a first-hand feel for the latest electric vehicles and electric bikes by participating in the free Ride & Drive experience.
– Over 200 eco-friendly exhibitors.
– Beer & Wine Garden, featuring local beer, wine and food.
– A Kid’s Zone organized by LearningDen Preschool and Explore Ecology, with arts & crafts, musical performances, storytelling, face painting and eco-activities, along with a family passport that promotes kid-friendly activities throughout the park.
– Two full days of music on the Main Stage.
– A plant-forward Food Court featuring locally sourced, regenerative ingredients from ecologically-focused chefs, caterers and food artisans.
– A Homegrown Roots Zone and Homegrown Roots Stage curated by Cultivate Events to showcase the farmers, ranchers, food producers and organizations who are working to create a more regenerative food system along the central coast.
– A Free Bike Valet, with complimentary bike tune-ups and secure all-day parking provided by MOVE SB County.
– A commitment to reducing waste as on average, more than 93% of waste produced at Santa Barbara’s Earth Day is recycled or composted.
Earth Day 2023 highlights the role the CEC has played across the region for more than 50 years, shining a light on the system changes, policy implementation and individual actions needed to meet the urgency of the climate crisis. Key to this is the Annual Climate Leadership Summit, which highlights climate actions that organizations and individuals are undertaking throughout the region, with an emphasis on strategies that leverage intergenerational collaborations. More details on the Annual Summit will be available soon on the Earth Day website, www.SBEarthDay.org.
Event registration for vendors will open in mid-February, with early-bird pricing through March 17. For information, go to https://www.sbearthday.org/exhibitors.
Those wishing to sponsor the festival can get information at https://www.sbearthday.org/become-a-sponsor.
To nominate an “environmental hero” for an Explore Ecology Environmental Stewardship Award, go to https://exploreecology.org/environmental-stewardship-awards/. The nomination deadline is March 31.
The CEC is also hosting a series of Earth Month events including, but not limited to:
– Ice Cream for a Cause, which invites community members to visit any of McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams seven scoop shop locations on April 22nd and opt for an earth-friendly cone instead of a cup – $1 from every cone sold will benefit the CEC.
– The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians annual Earth Day celebration is set to take place on April 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
– Draughtsmen Aleworks presents Trivia Night, a benefit for the CEC, on April 11 starting at 6:30 p.m. at their Goleta location (53 Santa Felicia Drive). Goodland Waffles will be onsite that night offering their signature waffles and melts. In addition, for those who visit either Draughtsmen Aleworks location in April and order a pint from the Karma tap, $1 of every pint sold will benefit the CEC.
email: kzehnder@newspress.com
