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PrintCOLUMBIA — Columbia has watched Earth Day grow from a seedling to a robust tree. The holiday has been celebrated in some form since its conception 40 years ago.
This year’s festival will feature about 200 booths and the return of a second stage for jazz performances. A complete list of performers can be found on the Columbia Earth Day Coalition website.
When: noon to 7 p.m. Sunday
Where: Peace Park and adjacent streets
Cost: Free
The Columbia Earth Day Coalition requests that you don't bring dogs.
- Download the "e-book" version of our special section on sustainability in Columbia.
- Columbia will celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day from noon to 7 p.m. Sunday with the annual Earth Day Festival near Peace Park. (The rain date is May 2.) There will be more than 200 booths, including nonprofit organizations, volunteer opportunities, businesses, government agencies, environmental education and food vendors. For more information and event details, go to ColumbiaEarthDay.org
Throughout the life of the festival, organizers have adapted to meet the public's needs.
“As it's grown, we’ve identified things that have reached a critical mass and found a specific place for them,” said Jan Weaver, director of MU's environmental studies program.
Eco Avenue is an area of the festival dedicated entirely to booths featuring interactive displays about sustainability. This year’s celebration will introduce the addition of Eco Avenue Schoolhouse, in which speakers will give short presentations on topics ranging from solar power and geothermal energy to urban hens and green burial.
The first Earth Day was created by Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson, who was concerned about the country's lack of environmental awareness. Inspired by anti-Vietnam War protests in the form of “teach-ins,” Nelson announced a nationwide demonstration in the spring of 1970 to spark a response at the grassroots level due to what was being done to the environment.
Twenty million Americans answered the call and participated in the first Earth Day. MU was one of an estimated 2,000 college campuses to take part, and Columbia has hosted some sort of observance ever since. Some years, the festivities went on for days and included lectures on the MU campus as well as in Peace Park. Musicians, educational booths and performers have also been central to the celebration.
The growth of participation in Columbia is a reflection of what has happened around the globe.
“Today, around one billion people around the world observe Earth Day, making it the largest secular holiday,” Emily Hartman, communications associate for the Earth Day Network, said in an e-mail.
Amanda Branco contributed to this report.
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