NASHVILLE, TN — The lush green space of Centennial Park is set to host Nashville Earth Day, a welcome return to the event’s full-scale celebration of the planet and the Nashville area’s environment. Nashville Earth Day will be held at the Centennial Park Bandshell on Saturday, April 23rd from 11 am to 6 pm. This free family event brings the Nashville community together to celebrate the planet, inspire positive environmental change, and support sustainable small businesses and nonprofits.
“We are excited to see Centennial Park hosting Nashville’s Earth Day celebrations as in previous years. We are as committed as ever to maintaining, preserving, and enhancing Nashville’s green spaces. Better managed parks, greenways, and open spaces can mean a better quality of life for residents and a rewarding experience for visitors. We hope that this year’s Nashville Earth Day will inspire positive environmental change,” said Metro Parks Director, Monique Horton Odom.
Nashville Earth Day, in keeping with the brand of Music City, will feature a day full of live music hosted at the Park Bandshell including Grammy-nominated songwriter Aaron Lee Tasjan, Striking Matches, Gustavo Moradel, Josh Okeefe, Larysa Jaye, and Raihanna Estrada.
Alongside the music, festival-goers can attend yoga in the park or visit any number of green-focused vendor booths, craft beer stands (for those patrons 21 and over), and food trucks while little ones can engage in learning play through Centennial Park Conservancy’s educational program, Kidsville. All vendors and Earth Day festival partners are required to only use compostable materials during the event, with oversight and assistance provided by Compost Nashville. Full event details can be found at nashvilleearthday.org/event-details
More than just a celebration, Nashville Earth Day also serves to promote environmental stewardship and sound best practices in sustainability. A portion of the funds raised through Earth Day activities is then reinvested into local parks throughout Nashville; over the last two years, these projects have included planting 108 trees in Boyd, Green Hills, Hadley, and Mill Ridge Parks; caring for 160,000 bees in Centennial Park; and planting pollinator gardens in Green Hills Park, Shelby Park, and Stratford STEM Magnet School.
To further the positive environmental impact of Nashville Earth Day, the Nashville Tree Foundation, through a presenting partnership with Amazon, will make 500 trees available to festival-goers on a first-come, first-served basis. As development has significantly reduced the Nashville area’s tree canopy in recent years, these pre-potted trees are intended to help seed the future regrowth of such an important resource.
Nashville Earth Day attendees are encouraged to walk or bike to the event. Attendees can also take the bus to Centennial Park via the Metro Transit Authority bus routes from West End #3, Charlotte #10 or the University Connector #21. Free limited parking is available in and around Centennial Park. The Park’s generous neighbors at HCA Healthcare will provide free parking in their lots along Park Plaza.
Nashville Earth Day is a program of Centennial Park Conservancy, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works in partnership with Nashville’s Metro Parks to support Centennial Park and the Parthenon. Key CPC programs include the Nashville Parthenon exhibition and educational initiatives, Musicians Corner, Kidsville, and Nashville Earth Day. Nashville Earth Day is presented in part by Amazon, Kroger, Republic Services, Sandra Schatten Foundation, Tennessee Tribune, and WM.
Centennial Park Conservancy is also partnering with Metro Parks on the Centennial Park Revitalization, a multi-phase transformation of the park that will preserve and enhance Nashville’s central park to better serve current and future generations.Environmental improvements have been prioritized during the Park revitalization, which received SITES certification as a sustainable landscape in 2017.
For more information on Centennial Park Conservancy please visit conservancyonline.com.
