St. Louis Earth Day Festival returns to Forest Park this weekend

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The largest Earth Day celebration in the Midwest is back on April 22 and 23 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Forest Park. Organized by local nonprofit earthday365, the event is free to attend and will be held at the Muny grounds. This year’s theme is Go Circular, emphasizing “Reuse” in “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” Jess Watson, executive director of earthday365, sees the festival as a place that can equip people to pursue a more sustainable lifestyle. “The festival will inspire attendees to ditch the disposables and design their lives around reuse – or circularity,” she said in a release.

While in attendance, people can enjoy a variety of food vendors, most of which are Green Dining Alliance certified members. The options include local restaurants like Baileys’ Range, Fiddlehead Fern Cafe, Michele C. Catering, Salt + Smoke, Sedara Sweets, Herbarium Sparkling Herbal Tea and more. Many of the vendors will also offer vegetarian and vegan fare. Local breweries like 4 Hands Brewing Co. and Schlafly Beer will serve drink selections at the beer garden. In keeping with the circularity theme, all serving containers and utensils will be recyclable or compostable. Bottled water will not be available, so attendees are encouraged to bring their reusable water bottles and fill up at water stations throughout the grounds. 

When not enjoying food and beverages, festival attendees can listen to music from local artists, watch aerial performances and attend the Sustainability Awards Ceremony, where Mayor Tishaura Jones will give the keynote address. Additionally, attendees can experience the climbing wall, wild bird shows, yoga, classes on sustainability and nearly 200 vendors. This year, the festival is debuting a Sustainable Fashion Show hosted by resale shop Room Seven. With something for everyone, this is an event you don’t want to miss. For more information, visit the festival website.