Discover more coastal celebrations and programs at Earth Day 2024. First held in 1970 to bring awareness to environmental issues, Earth Day takes place annually on April 22.
Long Leaf Park will have more than 50 environmentally minded exhibitors, live music, dancing, food trucks and family fun at the 34th annual Wilmington Earth Day Festival taking place noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 20.
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Hosted by the Wilmington Earth Day Alliance, the theme this year is “Planet vs. Plastics.” There is no charge to attend. Parking is free at the park, 314 Pine Grove Drive, Wilmington, and at the New Hanover County Senior Resource Center, 2222 South College Road.
Organizers said there will be recycling and composting stations to help this be a zero-waste event and recommend bringing a refillable water bottle. T-shirts with the 2024 festival logo will be for sale.
“This is my favorite festival of the year,” said Valerie Robertson, publisher of Cape Fear’s Going Green magazine and volunteer with the festival in a statement. “Good music, good food, fun things to do. And it’s the biggest gathering of environmental groups in Wilmington, so if you’re looking for a group to join or a place to volunteer, it’s a great way to learn about opportunities.”
There will be live music with Yard Doggs, Rose Tattoo, community drummers and dancers, and The Possums. The Rapping Red Oak will perform children’s songs and lead the children’s Nature Brigade Parade after Yard Doggs’ performance.
There will be a raffle. The winner will take home a Hurricane Kayak donated by Great Outdoor Provision Co.
Sponsor Spotlight
Food trucks will offer vegan and vegetarian options and will serve their food in compostable packaging and offer compostable cutlery. On-site will be Latin American plant-based street food from RiCoQui, and smash burgers and subs from Smash & Dash. New to the festival will be Eastside Food and Well Fed Ed.
Hi-Wire Brewing, Fermental Beer & Wine, Good Hops Brewing and Noni Bacca Winery will sell beverages and there will be fruit smoothies from Smart Smoothies.
Panacea will sell kombucha and hard kombucha, and Culligan Water will provide drinking water. Guests are encouraged to bring their own reusable water bottles.
Wave Transit will run free trolley shuttles between the senior center and the festival all afternoon. In honor of Earth Day, travel on Wave Transit on all routes will be free all day Saturday, April 20 across all services, including RideMICRO and Paratransit.
Leashed pets are welcome in the grassy areas but not inside the tents or in the food area. Only trained service animals may accompany their humans on the Wave Transit bus.
Festival sponsors include Ponysaurus Brewing Co., Wilmington Brewing Co., Fermental Beer & Wine, Good Hops Brewing, Coyle Solar, City of Wilmington Stormwater Services, New Hanover County Parks and Gardens, Heal Our Waterways, Hurricane Kayaks, Great Outdoor Provision Co., Boot Scrap Productions, Cape Fear’s Going Green, Wave Transit, Wilmington Compost Co., Culligan Water, and Modern Sound and Staging.
