It’s not exactly the planet's official birthday, but in the City of Trees, the Environmental Council of Sacramento is hosting a festival at Southside Park in Downtown to celebrate.
If you weren’t able to observe Earth Day on Tuesday, this weekend could be another chance.
The free event will take place this Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature over 100 exhibitors and vendors, live music, and a variety of food options.
The theme of this year's event is 'Plan It For The Planet,' which emphasizes not only planning to improve the Earth but also doing so with the future of the planet in mind.
Earth Day started in the U.S. when Senator Gaylord Nelson organized an environmental teaching in 1969. It became nationally recognized April 22, 1970 and has continued to this day.
ECOS is a 53-year-old organization with a mission to achieve regional sustainability, more livable communities, environmental justice, a healthy environment, and a thriving economy, not only for existing residents but also for future residents of the region.
In 2006, ECOS became the main organizer of the Earth Day event in Sacramento.
According to Heather Fargo, president of the ECOS board and former Mayor, this year's vendors will feature information booths where attendees can learn about various ecological concerns in Sacramento, including water issues, climate change, and habitat-related issues.
“We encourage people to show up and to walk around and to learn to focus on the areas they're interested in,” Fargo said. “We even have some watercolor projects this year for the kids to do. This year, we are also going to have some animals up for adoption from the Bradshaw Animal Shelter.”
Fargo said she wants people to feel welcome and spend a little time with them and the community.
“This particular event, I believe, is important with everything we're dealing with now in terms of climate change and issues related to water availability and the environment and losing farmland,” Fargo said. “There's so many issues that we are dealing with, and this gives people a place to go and learn about those different areas and hopefully find something that's interesting enough for them to get involved with, not just once a year, but on a regular basis.”
Sacramento Regional Transit is offering free rides to the festival this Sunday. Bus Route 51 stops at 9th and T Street. The Blue Line Light Rail Transit stops at 13th and R Street.
The Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates are also offering complimentary valet parking for bikes.
According to Debra Banks, the executive director of SABA, bike parking allows people to “ditch their cars and ride their bikes,” which is beneficial for both the planet and their well-being.
“We're also going to do e-bike rides so that people can consider getting one, which also is a game changer in terms of climate,” Banks said. “So everything about the ECOS event is about climate change and about what you can do at the local level, and then how you can help push our elected officials to do the right thing at higher levels throughout the city.”
Banks said they’re offering e-bike test rides because May is Bike Month, which SABA hosts in six counties.
“The whole idea behind May Bike Month is to ditch your car and to try to use your bike for short trips around town, which saves greenhouse gas emissions,” Banks said. “It lowers vehicle miles traveled, which is what we count in terms of how our roads are being utilized and or abused.”
Banks said the Earth Day event is essential for the city of Sacramento to build awareness on how the Earth is changing rapidly.
“We only have one Earth, and how we spend time with it and how we interact with it matters,” Banks said.
Correction: a previous version of this story referred to ECOS as the Economic Council of Sacramento. It is the Environmental Council of Sacramento.
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