This column is sponsored by Arlington Arts/Arlington Cultural Affairs, a division of Arlington Economic Development.
Looking for fun ways to engage the whole family in Earth Day? A day-long street festival, Earth Day Every Day features live music, great food, kids art activities, a native plant sale, environmental education activities, and even a sustainable art market.
The event takes place from noon until 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 24, in front of the Lee Heights Shops, 4500 Old Dominion Drive, Arlington, Virginia 22207.
Presented by the Langston Boulevard Alliance, this is a day for our community to come together to celebrate the beauty and promise of our local environment and the planet. Every year, communities worldwide uplift Earth Day to mark the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. It reminds us all to do what we can, in ways small and significant, to restore, conserve and protect our environment. The festival offers a whole range of opportunities to engage!
Peruse the Sustainable Art Market, featuring a broad selection of eco-friendly finds. The vendors include: Circuit Breaker Labs — wearable and decorative art created from circuit boards, capacitors and other electronic trash; Elodie’s Naturals — ECOCERT plant-based skin care products; Debra Fabian Jewelry — made from ethically sourced gems and recycled semi-precious metals, and much more.
Recently featured on WTOP 103.5 FM, you can peruse FROM OUR WAIST TO WASTE: Is Fashion Sustainable (?), the latest installation of the Arlington Art Truck. Artist Laure Drogoul explores how our decisions about clothing and textile purchases have affected our environment and community and what we can do about it. To provide the soundtrack for your day, Arlington Arts also helped to program the diverse array of noted performing artists (including several Washington Area Music Award winners).
Jasmine Gillison — A fast-rising Arlington singer-songwriter with a distinctive fingerpicking style.
Calista Garcia — 2022 WAMMIE “Best Folk Song” (After You’ve Gone). The Voice (Season 16).
Bobby Thompson — the 2018 WAMMIE “Best Blues Album” the singer-songwriter is working on his 7th album.
Justin Trawick — Recently featured on CNN, Voice of America and Parade magazine, the nationally-known performer won a 2014 WAMMIE for “Song of the Year” (All the Places That I’ve Been).
Visit the Arlington Public Library Truck for a variety of Earth Day activities: write a postcard imagining the future of Langston Boulevard, pick up some Earth Day coloring sheets, and attend a storytime by one of their children’s librarians. You can sign up for a library card and check out some books when you visit!
With all that dancing and shopping, you’re sure to work up an appetite, so taste the flavors of food vendors Arrowine & Cheese, Lebanese Taverna, Old Dominion Pizza and Starbucks Coffee! Then burn some calories by joining the artists of the Arlington Artists Alliance (AAA) for an afternoon of painting. Barry Keith has designed a hands-on climate change mural project for kids of all ages. Or join Arlington Parks and Recreation to make some 3-D paper sculptures.
That’s just a sample of the fun activities taking place as part of Earth Day Every Day, on Sunday, April 24. For a complete schedule of vendors and activities, visit Earthdayonlangston.com.