Celebrating Earth Day 2019 in Dallas

On April 22, the world will celebrate Earth Day, a holiday dedicated to environmental protection and honoring all the natural wonders of the planet. Earth Day was founded in 1970 and is now celebrated in over 193 countries and countless cities worldwide, including Dallas. This year, be sure to attend one of these environmentally focused events to support and honor the place we all call home.

EarthX is home to the world’s largest gathering of environmentally concerned citizens, businesses, leaders and more at their three-day annual convention, which takes place right here in Dallas, Texas. Held April 25-28th at Fair Park, this convention includes an exposition — this year’s theme will be “Water for All” — a conference with special events and speakers, a film festival and an educational component with field trips for students. Main attractions for this year’s event include the EarthxAutoShow, which highlights emerging technology from green automakers; EarthxInteractive, which showcases virtual, augmented and mixed reality projects; and EarthxTaste, where you can sample delicious sustainable food options. Admission to the expo is free if you register beforehand or $5 at the door. Prices vary on other events.

If you’re looking for something more low-key, stop by Oak Cliff Earth Day on April 14 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Lake Cliff Park. This year’s celebration will include the fifth annual Green Source DFW Run for the Environment, a 5K or 1-mile walk, in addition to new events like free terrarium workshops for kids and a drive for Lions Club Recycle For Sight, where you can sustainably drop off old prescription glasses, reading glasses or sunglasses. Oak Cliff Earth Day will also provide live entertainment, educational booths and food for sale. This event is free to the public.

The Rustic will also be hosting a special Earth Day event on April 22 from 6-8 p.m. Known as BYOP, or Bring Your Own Planter, this event includes a partnership with the specialty retail store Jade & Clover, which will provide all the materials you need to create a new plant for your home or office space. All ages are welcome, and you can buy tickets ahead of time to secure your spot. Tickets are $10 for one plant, $15 for three plants or $20 for four plants.  

If you prefer to keep things strictly educational, make sure to stop by Dallas Recycling: Zero Waste on April 20 from 9:30-11 a.m. at North Haven Gardens. This event will focus on the city’s Zero Waste Plan, which was passed in 2013 and encompasses four main goals: achieving 40% diversion (as in, diverting waste from a landfill) by 2020, 60% diversion by 2030 and zero waste by 2040. Attendees will learn how make a landfills a thing of the past with a talk by guest speaker Marcos Estrada, the Coordinator for Zero Waste for the City of Dallas’ Office of Environmental Quality & Sustainability. Estrado will also further explain how what we throw away directly impacts our city and environment. This event is free to the public.

How do you plan to celebrate a more sustainable future this year? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Join the conversation on FacebookInstagram and Twitter.