Earth Days of yesteryear included planting trees and recycling cans. This year, the non-for-profit organization Earth Day Dallas seeks to promote environmental awareness with a two-day extravanganza in the Dallas Arts District.
On Friday and Saturday, April 22-23, the Earth Day Dallas Festival will showcase eco-conscious award-winning films, celebrated speakers, local brews and live entertainment from local and national folk, rock, pop, country, jazz and hip-hop artists.
The Eco Expo will also feature interactive booths, a Zen Garden of over 100 trees, book readings for the kids, a Beer Garden for the adults, yoga demonstrations and classical Indian dance.
With hundreds of businesses and nonprofit organizations involved, this green event is slated to be the grandest Earth Day celebration in the history of Dallas – maybe even ever.
“The 2011 celebration will be more than an event,” said Earth Day Dallas leader Trammell S. Crow. “It’s intended to be an ongoing movement of green business and community efforts that penetrate the daily lives of Dallas residents."
MOVIES
- Get some green inspiration with an eco-friendly film festival at the Dallas Museum of Art. Films by Irene Klaver, Matt Briggs and Sebastian Copeland will screen on Friday.
- After Copeland's Into the Cold: A Journey of the Soul, Dallas Film Society board chairman Michael Cain will conduct the filmmaker's Q&A session. “The Dallas Film Society is proud to support Earth Day Dallas in their effort to inform all ages on our role in a better world through green initiatives,” says Cain.
- Saturday offers story time for the kids at the museum with a reading of The Lorax by Christine Allison, president of D Magazine followed by a short film for the kids
MUSIC
- Live music will be performed at the Annette Strauss Square on Friday from 12:30 p.m.-6p.m. by Graceland Ninjaz, The O’s, Kirk Thurmond and Dem Southernfolkz. You also don’t want to miss a “Recycled Fashion Show” by the Environmental Protection Agency.
- On Saturday from 10 a.m.-5p.m. the square has performances by Django Walker, Larry Hagman, Dallas School of Rock, Kidz Bop, Texas Instruments Jazz Band and The King Bucks.
...& MORE
- Lectures will be presented by various environmental leaders including former California State Representative and coauthor of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 Pete McCloskey.
- Actor and solar panel advocate Larry Hagman of “Dallas” and “I Dream of Jeannie” fame will be one of the speakers on Saturday along with Dorka Keehn, author of Eco Amazons: 20 Women Who Are Transforming the World.
- Each portion of the festival is designed to promote the benefits of living green for a better tomorrow.
- “Our goal is for the festival is to become an annual green-living summit for the region," says Crow. "And the catalyst for change and knowledge sharing.”
See a complete schedule and find out more at the Earth Day Dallas website.
