This year marks the 30th anniversary of the St. Louis Earth Day Festival, organized by earthday365. For a complete guide to the festivities, find our article on everything to know about the free two-day event. Looking for the best family-friendly events? SLM asked Jen Myerscough, the executive director of earthday365, for a rundown of everything kids can do at the festival.
When and where
Although Earth Day is April 22, the St. Louis Earth Day Festival will take place the following weekend, April 27 & 28, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The festival will be held at Forest Park on The Muny grounds, with remote parking at St. Louis Community College–Forest Park. There will be buses every 10 to 15 minutes to take guests to and from the festival grounds.
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Music and performances
Myerscough says, “The Community Stage, which is on the eastern side of the Muny theater, is where we will have the bird shows from the Wild Bird Sanctuary, dance troupes, and more kid-focused entertainment. That’s also near the Youth Corner, which is where we have grouped a bunch of booths that have activities for kids, so they have this whole little area of the festival.”
While most of the kid-centered entertainment will be found on the Community Stage, Celia’s Sing-Along Dance Party will perform on the Earth Day Stage at noon on Saturday.
In the Youth Corner, there will be crafts and activities to teach kids about environmental responsibility in interactive ways. In the Peace Garden, kids will receive a free tree to plant (while trees are available), and they can join in on meditation and reflection, or listen to stories.
Learning Opportunities
Many of the booths and vendors have kid-friendly activities to promote an appreciation for nature and caring for the Earth. Some of the activities include making jump ropes, gardening, visiting with a goat and alpaca, learning about recycling, and making crafts out of reusable materials. There are also booths from Friends of the Rainforest, Saint Louis Zoo, and Endangered Wolf Center that teach about wildlife conservation.
Making a Difference
St. Louis Earth Day Festival isn’t just about having a great weekend. It’s about teaching people the value of living an environmentally friendly lifestyle and preserving the earth. Festival-goers can put this into practice by taking the Earth Day Challenge.
Myerscough “encourages everybody who comes—young and old—to take the Earth Day Challenge. That is to use alternate transportation or carpool, to bring their own bag and water bottle, because you will not be able to buy a plastic water bottle at the festival, and then to try a plant-based meal if you don’t already eat vegetarian. So anybody young or old do that can come up to the booth and self-report and get a prize.”
Kids are encouraged to try to complete the Earth Day Challenge, as well. It’s a fun way to show children that taking care of the planet and eating healthfully can be exciting. The promise of a prize for sticking to the challenge is also a powerful motivator.
