IMAGES COURTESY OF GREATER CINCINNATI EARTH ALLIANCE
Earth Day is usually considered a more low-key and reflective national holiday but The Greater Cincinnati Earth Coalition has been working to provide a more fun and engaging celebration. On Saturday, April 27 at Summit Park they will be hosting their 26th annual Greater Cincinnati Earth Day Festival.
The annual festivities started in 1998 at Sawyer Point, but in 2016 they were moved to Summit Park to accommodate more people. According to Chuck Lohre, chair of the Greater Cincinnati Earth Coalition, last year’s festival had approximately 8,000 people in attendance and crowds grow by around 10 percent each year.
Another reason Summit Park was chosen is because it’s very accommodating to kids and families due to the amount of playgrounds and natural play spaces. Children are more than welcome at the festival with many activities geared towards them such as a scavenger hunt, face painting, crafts, a costume contest, and interactive animal presentations.
“Our theme this year is ‘Planet vs. Plastics’ so don’t bring bottled water, bring your water bottle,” said Lohre. “The Greater Cincinnati Water Works will have filling stations at the event. We ask our guests to advocate for widespread awareness on the health risk of plastics, rapidly phase out all single use plastics, urgently push for a strong UN Treaty on plastic pollution, and demand an end to fast fashion.”
Cincinnati Recycling and Reuse Hub will have a booth set up to help fight plastic pollution as well. All day they will be accepting items like plastic utensils, shopping bags, gift cards, oral care products, and cell phones to recycle and keep out of landfills. You can check their list ahead of time to see what they can take.
IMAGES COURTESY OF GREATER CINCINNATI EARTH ALLIANCE
If you’re more interested in learning about environmental causes, there will be plenty to see. Over 100 booths will line Summit Park’s Great Lawn, including informational tables from groups like Community Earth Alliance, Climate Reality Project, and Citizen Climate Lobby Cincinnati.
For those looking to make their lives more green, different environmentally friendly businesses will be showing off their wares such as art supply thrift store Indigo Hippo, hydroponic produce growers 80 Acres Farms, and natural personal care product makers Earthganics. There will also be an area for test driving electric cars.
Presentations will take place at the main stage all day. Local children’s music groups like School of Rock and the Northern Cincinnati Youth Orchestra will serenade the crowd in between trivia contests and the presentation of awards to businesses the GCEC recognizes for environmentally friendly practices.
The Greater Cincinnati Earth Day Festival is free to attend at Summit Park on Saturday, April 27 from 12-5 p.m.
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