SARASOTA COUNTY – The public is invited to an Earth Day celebration April 20 in downtown Sarasota, featuring music, food for purchase, prizes, a tiny home to tour, and a wealth of information on how individuals can help the planet.
The family-friendly festival, co-hosted by the City of Sarasota and Sarasota County Government, runs 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Selby Five Points Park. Residents and downtown employees are encouraged to stop by during their lunch breaks.
“It will be a fun event, focused on simple actions everyone can take to reduce their environmental footprint,” said Lee Hayes Byron, Sarasota County sustainability manager.
The Five Points event will show visitors how to live and work more sustainably, including cutting energy use, exploring nature, carpooling, buying/growing local foods, composting, and more. Visitors can explore a tiny home, view electric vehicles on site, learn about the global Earth Day 2018 theme of ending plastic pollution, and enter a City raffle that will award trees and sustainability-related prizes.
“We’re excited to partner with Sarasota County for this environmentally-friendly festival where community members can learn about local sustainability organizations,” said Stevie Freeman-Montes, sustainability manager for the City of Sarasota. “We’re especially interested to have a tiny home for community members to see in person to learn about this growing trend of living on a smaller scale.”
Event Details
- Earth Day celebration
- April 20, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
- Selby Five Points Park, 1 Central Ave., Sarasota
- Free admission; open to the public
Attendees are encouraged to travel to the event in a sustainable way, including walking, biking, i-Riding, or riding a Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT) bus, which will offer free “Try Transit Day” service for all riders that day.
Earth Day has been celebrated nationally since 1970 as a way to raise awareness of air and water pollution and to highlight actions that help create a healthier planet and people. The city and county have a long history of environmental leadership, and have collaborated on this event to demonstrate their shared commitment to environmental protection and sustainability education.
April, celebrated as “Earth Month,” also offers other environmentally themed activities, including:
- Sarasota County Extension classes, county library programs, and nature walks at county parks and preserves.
- A community meeting on the City of Sarasota’s 100 percent renewable energy commitment.
- The City of Sarasota also will give away a limited number of trees at at the Newtown Farmers Market on April 20 and through arborday.org/Sarasota on April 23.
Watch the county and city social media accounts for more information. Both organizations will highlight water conservation, solid waste, plastics, and special Earth Month events using the hashtag #EarthMonthSRQ on Facebook and Twitter.
Learn more at www.scgov.net and www.SarasotaFL.gov.
Sarasota County prohibits discrimination in all services, programs or activities.
View the complete policy at www.scgov.net (keywords ADA compliance).