Earth day is quickly approaching, and as good hipster in the Richmond community you need to make sure your Earth Day weekend is "lit". To help you plan out you awesome Earth Day I've compiled a list of killer Earth Day activities around town to fill your weekend!
1. Eat Green Picnic
This one's technically the day before earth day so it's more of an "Earth Day pregame" if you will. On April 21st the empty lot that used to be Sahara will be transformed into a giant picnic area. The Office of Sustainability and Eat Green VCU have partnered up to promote living a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. Not only will there be FREE food, bike checks from RamBikes, t-shirts, and other giveaways, but there will also be Oversized Jenga, Cornhole, and tables for Birdhouse Farmer's Market, ECOFashion, Vegans @ VCU and VA Conservation Network among many others. Best of all, it's dog-friendly! So BYOB (Bring your Own Bottle) and kick off your Earth Day with the VCU community.
2. Race Without a Trace Earth Day 5k
Next up we have the 5th Annual Richmond Earth Day 5k Race Without a Trace. The race takes place along the Virginia Capital Trail, which just opened up a little over a year ago, giving you amazing views of Richmond and the James River. Also as a bonus, there will also be fun opportunities to learn how to help the environment throughout the course, which happens to be dog friendly! Online registration closes on April 20th, but you can register in person on the day of the race if you're really on the fence about it. But come on, what eco-nut doesn't love a good run.
3. RVA Earth Day Festival
After you finish up you 5k you are just steps away from Richmond's premier Earth Day celebration. The 7th Annual RVA Earth Day Festival will have it all. There's going to be a wide variety a food carts from places like Goatacado, Firehouse BBQ, King of Pops, and so much more. There's also going to be resources and other information to help you live a greener life from over 50 groups such as the Sierra Club of Virginia, Project Yoga, and Tricycle Gardens. Not only does this festival have great food and cool vendors, it also has live music, fun activities for everyone in the family—including your dog—and the whole festival benefits Feed RVA.
4. March for Science Richmond
Earth day isn't just all fun and games, let's not forget the reason for the season. Earth day is a celebration of the planet, but it's also an acknowledgment of the issues facing the climate and a commitment to protecting the environment. It is in this spirit that March for Science Richmond, VA will be hosting a teach-in and march this Earth Day. This will be an opportunity for people of any political affiliation, or belief, to join the discussion not only about climate change, but other issues the scientific community is dealing with. The teach-in will take place from 11am-3pm at Gallery 5 (200 W Marshall st.), and the march will start near Abner Clay Park at 5:30 pm.
5. Richmond Earth Day Celebration
The Earth we live on the environment around us is such a beautiful gift. The best way you can give back for all that mother nature gives us is through good old-fashioned volunteer service. The Enrichmond Foundation is working with its partner organizations have set up a day of service with opportunities spread throughout the city. If you really want to make a difference this Earth and give a big thank you to this incredible place we call home there's nothing better than some soul cleansing community service.
Whether you spend your Earth Day with a nice relaxing picnic or getting down and dirty at a community clean up, you need to promise me you'll do one thing. You need to step back and take a moment to appreciate the beauty of the nature surrounding us.