Ashley Morton
CONTRIBUTOR
Earth Day Omaha celebrates its 30th year on April 13 as the longest running environmentally-directed event in the city, drawing thousands of visitors every year.
Earth Day Omaha’ mission is to “organize, direct and produce the city’s annual Earth Day event, providing a showcase for the many charitable, scientific and educational efforts advocating for sustainable environmental practices and lifestyles.”
This year’s event will be no different. With its giant demonstration tent, live music and a tent dedicated to creating interactive fun for kids, the day is set to be jam-packed with hands-on, awe-inducing creativity and environmental fun.
The event runs from 11a.m. to 6 p.m. and offers a wide variety of activities, music, food, and even a beer garden.
According to their website, over 100,000 consumers in the Omaha metro area will be exposed to event promotion and upwards of 8,000 active consumers and their families are expected to attend.
Tymaree Sing, a University of Nebraska at Omaha alumna and mom, said attending Earth Day Omaha is a fun tradition for her and her family.
“The girls enjoy playing at the park, but mostly enjoy running free outside,” Sing said. “We also receive a lot of goodies for them to take home and informational hand outs are excellent.”
If you’ve ever wanted to learn about urban beekeeping or permaculture, Earth Day Omaha is where you’ll want to be. You can also bring your old, broken electronics and have them recycled for free (fees apply on certain items, visit earthdayomaha.orgfor more information). You can enjoy outdoor yoga before the live music begins and the kids can get their hands dirty learning about rabbits and poultry or building a recycled horticulture project. There’s something for everyone.
The event features over 100 vendors, who are all of the same environmentally-friendly mindset. For example, the beer garden will feature local brews served in compostable cups and the event itself will be running on a “biofuel blend in an effort to reduce our consumption of fossil fuels. The biodiesel is made out of converted waste vegetable oil collected from area restaurants.”
Encouraging people to ‘think green’ isn’t just reserved for the hours spent at the event. In order to promote the healthy state-of-mind and a clean environment, the event promotes biking as a means to arriving by offering free valet bike parking. They also encourage eventgoers to make it a Zero Waste event by teaching them how to responsibly dispose of food scraps, non-recyclable organic waste, paper, cardboard, plastic and metal at their many Zero Waste stations.
Committing to a clean environment is good for everyone. Rachel Johnston appreciates the opportunity to spend the day outdoors and to participate in events that teach her and her children something new.
“It’s a nice day adventure. The kids love climbing the trees and playing at the park. They really enjoy getting hands-on by planting seeds and being able to watch them grow,” Johnston said.
For more information on this event and the Earth Day Omaha Coalition, visit their website at earthdayomaha.org.
