Earth Day Santa Cruz is an annual event bringing our community together to promote environmental stewardship, healthy living, and sustainability. Together with local businesses, schools, and community organizations, we engaged our citizens through education, hands on learning, inspirational activities, and placed a special emphasis on youth participation. We strive to celebrate the importance of protecting our Earth’s resources and to collaborate on empowering the environmental movement in Santa Cruz County and beyond.
Due to COVID-19, the festival was cancelled for several years. This year the Earth Day Committee is working with new partners at the MAH, Paradox and San Lorenzo Park to bring you and exciting multi-site event that celebrates Earth Day and the re-opening of upper San Lorenzo Park.
Santa Cruz Earth Day Celebration locations;
Join us for the Santa Cruz 2023 Earth Day Celebration at this multi-site event. Read below for more specific details and what will be included at each location.
This is a free family-friendly community celebration to promote environmental stewardship, healthy living, and sustainability.
Come build community and lean into climate action while you enjoy performers, live music, eco-minded exhibitors, inspiring conversations and arts and crafts.
Cooper/Pacific (off Abbott Square)
We are very excited to bring back our annual Earth Day Santa Cruz celebration in 2023! This year we bring the event to a new location, in beautiful Downtown Santa Cruz on Cooper St, Abbott Square, and the MAH. We look forward to gathering local businesses and organizations for a day of fun and environmentally focused activities and education. We will feature live music from Coffee Zombie Collective, face painting, a photo booth, lots of food options from Abbott Square and our other downtown eateries, and many activities for kids to take part in and even earn a sweet treat by participating in our interactive Passport Program. We will also be putting on an environmentally focused fashion show featuring local kids from the Fashion Teens program. We look forward to seeing all of you for Earth Day 2023!
Free parking will be available at the County building, located at 701 Ocean St. It is a short walk across the pedestrian bridge to the event.
Enjoy FREE ADMISSION plus these following presentations and festivities brought to you by the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History:
Abbott Square Activities:
- Family fun with the Hoopin Honey’s
- Bubbles, Arts & Crafts
MAH Activities:
Free MAH Admission includes access to:
Exhibitions on view: Bay of Life: From Wind to Whales, Writing on the Wall, Santa Cruz & the Santa Cruz County History Gallery
Earth Day Scavenger Hunt with Prizes
MAH Earth Day, Big Basin Park Presentations:
- 1-2pm: The Unique Role of Santa Cruz in Saving Big Basin Talk by Traci Bliss
- 2:30-3:45pm: Post CZU Fire: The Big Basin Experience panel discussion: Forest Sustainability, New Programs and Park Access.
- 4-6pm: Video Screenings by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and Mountain Parks Foundation.
Abbott Square Stage:
- 12-1pm: Coffee Zombie Collective
- 2-2:30pm: FashionTeens Fashion Show
- 2:45-4pm: Coffee Zombie Collective
And just over the San Lorenzo Bridge visit the Earth Day celebration hosted by Hotel Paradox, located at Upper San Lorenzo Park for more fun, activities, and environmental education!
The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, activated 20 million Americans from all walks of life and is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement. The passage of the landmark Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act and many other groundbreaking environmental laws soon followed. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world.
