While Earth Day lands on a school day — Wednesday, April 22 — this year, a number of events are scheduled all throughout the Bay Area this weekend to help you celebrate in traditional and eclectic ways. Here are a few worth checking out:
A woman releases butterflies at last year's Earth Day celebration in San Francisco. Photo courtesy of Earth Day San Francisco.
San Francisco
Earth Day Street Fest
The city's 45th annual Earth Day celebration takes place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 18, in the Mission. 22nd Street from Mission to Valencia Street will be closed to traffic and transformed into a festival featuring local musicians, an all ages dance party, an eco fashion show, vendors selling sustainable wares, hands-on permaculture and clean-energy workshops and much more.
Earth Day Film Fest
In conjunction with the Earth Day Street Festival, the Roxie Theater, ATA Theater and the Merchants of Reality art gallery and event space are hosting a week-long Earth Day Film Fest. From April 18 to 24, the organizations will offer a series of events and films focused on local and global environments.
Marin
Create-With-Nature Earth Day Celebration
Learn how to do more than draw a line in the sand at this free celebration on Stinson Beach. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. you can join professional artists, local community members and tourists to use found objects like rocks, seaweed and driftwood to create earthly art. Local musicians and dancers will add to the entertainment and the organizers recommend packing a picnic.
Berkeley
Berkeley Vegan Earth Day
The 5th Annual Berkeley Vegan Earth Day will feature "eco-friendly beauty products, conscious fashion lines, sustainable foods, and epic activism" from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the David Brower Center. Five vegan experts will be speaking, including one of the authors of the book No Meat Athlete.
San Mateo
Earth Day of Action & Eco Fest
Join the Pacifica Beach Coalition for a morning of tidying the beach from Mussel Rock in Daly City to Mavericks in Half Moon Bay, followed by a celebration at Linda Mar Beach with activities for all ages.
Palo Alto
Dine Out for Earth
If indulging on local cuisine sounds like the perfect way to honor the earth, then you're in luck. The national environmental nonprofit Rock the Earth is working with a handful of the Bay Area's celebrity chefs to host a six-course pre-fixe dinner from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at Calafia Café & Market A Go-Go in the Town & Country Village just outside of Downtown Palo Alto. The courses — such as milk braised pork with soft polenta and fig compote for carnivores or Roman gnocchi with roasted wild mushrooms, roasted rainbow carrots and crispy fennel, finished with a mushroom jus for herbivores — will be made with locally-sourced ingredients and paired with local beer and wine.
Only 80 tickets are available, and can be purchased now for $115 or at the door for $160. Proceeds benefit Rock the Earth as well as Earth Day San Francisco.