Earth Day Events for Everyone

Earth day is upon us! Celebrate Mother Earth on Saturday, April 22nd and beyond in Lincoln Square and on the Upper West Side. From charity drives to free online workshops, there are plenty of ways to get involved. Check out these Earth Day events and initiatives from businesses and organizations in the neighborhood and nearby. 

Learn a new skill this Earth Day with Apple. Join “Earth Day – The World You Want to See,” a free online workshop on Thursday, April 20th, at 5:00pm. Develop skills in drawing and photography in this Everyone Can Create activity that encourages learners to look at the environment around them and consider how they can make it better. Find more details here, and register for this free, interactive online event on the Apple website.  

The Richard Tucker Park Greenmarket continues! This twice-weekly, year-round farmer’s market offers fresh produce from local farmers every Thursday and Saturday. Celebrate this Earth Day at the greenmarket with a delicious natural treat, or stock up on your groceries for the week. Learn more about the greenmarket here. 

On Friday, April 21st, bring your own clean mug or thermos and enjoy one hot drip Lavazza coffee on the house from Épicerie Boulud in Lincoln Square (1900 Broadway) and throughout the city. Click here to find a location.

Celebrate Earth Day all week at one of NYC Parks’ Earth Day and Arbor Day events. From tree plantings to community hikes, there’s something for city goers of all ages. See the full calendar of free NYC Parks events here. 

Everyone can be a biker on Earth Day! Celebrate Open Streets: Car-Free Earth Day with free programming held throughout the city by NYC DOT. Plus, enjoy unlimited free 30-minute Citi Bike rides, courtesy of Lyft. Find details and a full list of free city-wide programming on the NYC DOT website. 

Stop by EarthFest at the American Museum of Natural History. On Earth Day, from 10:00am to 4:00pm, the museum will host live performances, engaging speakers and interactive activities highlighting the importance of preserving and protecting our planet. Find more details and a thorough list of programming here. 

Visit the The New York Society for Ethical Culture for their free Sunday Platform on April 23rd at 11:00am. Learn from Columbia Climate School Professor Sandra Goldmark, who will present ways we can change the way we think about the things we own to build a more environmentally conscious future. Find details for this free presentation here. 

Join NYC Emergency Management, NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) to celebrate Earth Day by learning to clean your catch basins in order to support your neighborhood and prevent flooding. Register for the 1:00pm online event on April 25th by clicking here. 

Your home isn’t the only thing that could use some spring cleaning. Refresh your mind this spring with the Riverside Library. Join meditation expert Clare Vidich on Tuesday, April 25th, from 5:30pm to 6:30pm for Spring Renewal Through Meditation, a free, virtual workshop held by the Riverside Library. Find more details and register for this free online workshop here.

Check out Pottery Barn’s guide for sustainable products, décor and lifestyle choices to celebrate Earth Day in style.  

Do you have empty beauty product packaging that you don’t know how to recycle? Make an Earth Day trip to your local Nordstrom to recycle your old beauty products through their BEAUTYCYCLE program. Simply drop off the packaging at one of the bins located in every Nordstrom location, and it will be cleaned, recycled and repurposed to make new, environmentally friendly products. BEAUTYCYCLE bins are available at Nordstrom year-round. Learn more about the recycling process here. 

In the Shops at Columbus Circle:

Eileen Fisher doesn’t only sell new clothes – their Waste No More program repurposes fabric scraps into beautiful art pieces and environmentally friendly handbags. Learn about the recycling and creation process for these pieces and see what’s available for sale on the Eileen Fisher website. Also, take a minute to learn about Eileen Fisher’s Regenerative Wool Farming program, which is helping fight climate change to make every day Earth Day.

For Aveda, every month is Earth Month, as they strive to support the planet in many ways, from protecting clean water sources to contributing to biodiversity efforts throughout the world. This April, join them by purchasing a bottle of shampure™ nurturing shampoo and conditioner or a limited-edition botanical repair™ leave-in treatment. Proceeds from purchases of both products through the end of the month will be donated to charity: water, an organization protecting clean water access around the world. Also, from now until Earth Day, if you walk 3.7 miles and post a photo or video of your walk on Instagram or Tik Tok with the hashtag #AvedaWalksForWater, Aveda will donate $40 to charity: water, at no cost to you! Learn more about Aveda’s Earth Month initiatives here. 

And, of course, make sure you stop and appreciate the colorful flowers in our malls and gardens on Earth Day and every day.

Happy Earth Day everyone!

Photo Credits: Aveda, Elena Olivo, NYC DOT, The New York Society for Ethical Culture, Pottery Barn, Eileen Fisher

Lincoln Square BID intern Matthias Lai, a student at Fordham University at Lincoln Center, wrote this story.