Earth Day is on April 22, and what better way to celebrate the planet and its ethereal beauty than with a handful of eco-friendly, nature-oriented events? No matter where you are in Westchester, here are ways you can support the health of the county and learn more about the environment.
Pitch in for Parks
April 18-22
Multiple locations
Join the expected, record-breaking 1,000 volunteers to help clean up parks around Westchester County. The annual event takes place on Earth Day and the days leading up to it. Cleanup crews will meet at Glen Island Park, Tibbetts Brook, Bronx River Reservation, Blue Mountain Reservation, Croton Point Park, and other parks. Pre-registration is required to participate in the cleanup.
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Earth Day Weekend
April 20 & 21, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Westchester Children’s Museum, Rye
The Westchester Children’s Museum will explore nature’s elements with crafts and activities inspired by the earth, air, wind, and fire. There’s something special about celebrating Earth Day with the Long Island Sound as your backdrop. This event is perfect for children ages three to 12.
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Ossining Earth Day Festival
April 20, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Louis Engel Waterfront Park, Ossining
Celebrate Mother Nature at Green Ossining’s 14th annual Earth Day Festival. The event will feature a plethora of kids’ activities. Start the day off by food foraging at 8 a.m. to have enough time to meet up with the others near the river. At the river, there will be a student-led climate march that begins at the bottom of Secor Road and goes over the Ossining Train Station Ramp and into Engel Park.
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Earth Day Celebration
April 20, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Rockefeller State Park, Peekskill
Rockefeller State Park celebrates Earth Day by advocating for sustainability, climate action, and environmental protection through education. This family-friendly event will feature seed planting, a live birds of prey demonstration, and animal ambassadors. Representatives from local environmental organizations will also be in attendance. The rain date is April 21, and the event is free, but registration is required.
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Earth Day at Crestwood
April 22, 1-4 p.m.
Yonkers Public Library, Crestwood Branch, Yonkers
Crestwood hosts a handful of Earth Day activities. Head over to clean the garden, learn about native and non-native plants, make sustainable swaps, and work on kids’ crafts.
Bedford Earth Day Festival
April 21, 12-3 p.m.
Bedford Hills Train Station, Bedford
Bedford celebrates Mother Nature with a eventful Earth Day festival. Head over to the Bedford Hills Train Station for a day full of activities, food, live music, and composting tutorials. You can even learn how to maintain a healthy yard and eat sustainably. This event is free.
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New Rochelle Earth Day Festival
April 20, 12-4 p.m.
Anderson Plaza, New Rochelle
The City of New Rochelle is committed to being an environmentally responsible place to live. One way the city demonstrates this is through its Earth Month events throughout April and May. On April 20, New Ro residents are invited to celebrate Earth Day with a sustainable marketplace featuring community gardens, green businesses, nonprofits, crafters, musicians, and restaurants within the community. On Earth Day, the city will host a neighborhood cleanup. Volunteer here.
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Film Screening
April 20, 2 p.m.
Hudson River Museum, Yonkers
In honor of Earth Day, the Hudson River Museum hosts Oceans 8 Films director and producer Jon Bowermaster, Indigenous seed steward and member of the Mohawk community of Akwesasne Rowen White, and Professor Isabel Lockhart, who teaches “Indigeneity and the Environmental Crisis” at Sarah Lawrence College, for a film screening of Seeds of Hope: Growing the Past to Save the Future. Post-screening, they will have an open discussion about the connections between the dispossession wrought by settler colonialism and how the Indigenous Seedkeepers Network works toward environmental and food justice by restoring seed sovereignty. Come with questions for a Q&A to follow.
Earth Day Celebration
April 21, 3 p.m.
Jacob Burns Film Center, Pleasantville
This Earth Day, the Jacob Burns Film Center partners with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-led Equator Initiative to present a program of short films exploring the work of the winners of the 14th Equator Prize. After enjoying the screening, attendees can join Anna Giulia Medri, Team Lead and Partnerships Advisor for the Equator Initiative, for a conversation. This is a can’t-miss event, as Indigenous leaders are traveling from far away to share their knowledge and wisdom with Westchester.
Related: 7 Must-Do Events in Westchester County Throughout the Year
