Photo courtesy of The Green Prize Festival Facebook page.
This Earth Day, spend the day celebrating and honoring Mother Nature by supporting local nonprofits, engaging in the political process and learning what you can do to help protect the environment. Enjoy local food and home brewed beer with our top five Long Beach events that will prove to be fun for the whole family.
March for Science
Exercise your First Amendment rights and join other residents who value science in the March For Science- Long Beach. With marches happening in cities and towns across the world, the Long Beach march is part of a global movement to protect the role science plays in health, safety, governments and economies.
On Friday, event organizers will hold a sign making party at Building Healthy Communities Long Beach, located at 920 Atlantic Avenue Ste. 102, from 6:00PM to 8:00PM. Saturday’s march is free and will begin at the corner of East San Antonio Drive and Atlantic Avenue at 10:00AM.
Green Prize Festival
Soak up the sun, munch on food from local vendors and enjoy an all “Home Brew” beer garden at the 4th annual Green Prize Festival at Houghton Park. The event will celebrate over 75 green entrepreneurs in green building, renewable energy, urban farming, environmental organizations and more.
Attendees can dance to an eclectic ensemble of live music, attend educational workshops and listen to guest speakers. Additionally, there will be a free bike valet and children’s activities. FREE. 11:00AM – 6:00PM, 6301 Myrtle Avenue.
Viento y Agua Coffeehouse Open Mic
In honor of local songwriter Alyssandra Nighswonger hosting 10 years of open mic night at Viento y Agua, the coffee house is hosting a 10-hour open mic session Saturday. In support of Earth Day, there will be an all-day raffle with prizes from local businesses, such as Fingerprints and tickets to the Long Beach Folk Revival Festival, to raise money for The Growing Experience Urban Garden. FREE. Noon – 10:00PM, 4007 East Fourth Street.
Aquarium of the Pacific
Spend Earth Day getting up close and personal with the aquarium’s marine life while learning what you can do to help protect the ocean and the environment. During Earth Day weekend, the aquarium will be displaying its new exhibits and programming on climate change. Attendees can receive $10 off the price of an adult ticket if they bring in e-waste recycling such as cell phones and small appliances.
At 10:00AM, there will be a special screening of Les Saisons, a documentary which examines how human activity affects nature. $29.95 for adults (12+), $17.95 for children, $26.95 for seniors (62+), free for aquarium members. 9:00AM – 5:00PM, 100 Aquarium Way.
Growing Experience Urban Farm
Tucked in North Long Beach, The Growing Experience Urban Farm is an award-winning farm that provides fresh and affordable produce to an economically disadvantaged area of the city. In celebration of Earth Day, community members can tour the farm, participate in mural and container gardening workshops, take a plant walk with a local herbalist, learn about local honey with a beekeeper and shop for fresh vegetables. FREE. 10:00AM – 2:00PM, 750 East Via Carmelitos.