Photography by Emily Rose Studios, courtesy of St. Louis Earth Day
Kids will feel like Superman while learning about ways to save the planet during the Earth Day Festival in Forest Park.
Music, crafts, food, and fun await in Forest Park this Sunday. This year’s Earth Day Festival will include several areas, located across The Muny grounds.
Families will gravitate toward Youth Corner, as well as the Nature, Recreation, and Wildlife area. Approximately 250 organizations and vendors are coming to the festival, and many will have games and science activities for kids. Howl like a wolf, learn about electricity and robotics, and take home a seed planted by your family. Purina is also sponsoring a Community Stage, where you can catch shows from Circus Flora and the World Bird Sanctuary.
The festival is pet-friendly, so bring Fido for the fun. Or if you don’t have a pet, consider adopting one: Four local pet shelters will be on hand in front of The Muny.
Don’t pass up the Alternative Transportation area, where you’ll find a Metro Bus that the kids can help paint, as well as the Science Center’s EVie truck, with hands-on activities to illustrate the link between food and carbon emissions. (Check the St. Louis Earth Day Festival website for a full list of educational and fun activities.)
The JOIA All Species Jamboree will kick off at 11 a.m. Kids can represent their favorite animals during a parade around the park, starting at the Café Stage. Then work out those kinks with Yoga Buzz, which will offer yoga classes for kids at the West Muny Pavilion. Peace Garden will host puppet shows, storytelling, and a performance from the Jabula Drumming Circle.
Be sure to bring your own water bottles because no disposable water bottles will be available; instead, you’ll find water-filling stations. Water bottles are part of this year’s Earth Day Challenge: The festival is asking everyone to bring a refillable bottle, a reusable bag, and take low-impact transportation like a bike or public transit. Complete two of the three challenges to pick up an eco-friendly prize from the Earth Day Challenge Booth.
You’ll also want to visit the Earth Day Café, where you'll find members of the Green Dining Alliance. St. Louis Earth Day has banned high-fructose corn syrup and other highly- processed fare typically found at festivals; instead, many of the menu items contain locally sourced or organic ingredients, with all of the serving containers and utensils beging recyclable or compostable. Dine on grass-fed beef from Baileys' Range, pasture-raised lamb gyros from Tivanov Catering, or locally sourced cupcakes from Whisk. Top it off with dessert from Ices Plain & Fancy, which will amaze kids and adults alike with its flash-frozen ice cream, made with liquid nitrogen. Adults can also enjoy Schlafly’s organic grains and hops. (Get a discount for reusing your cup.)
The St. Louis Earth Day Festival will take place in Forest Park on April 24 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on The Muny grounds. The festival is free. For more information, visit the St. Louis Earth Day Festival website.
