Earth Day Fort Collins Featuring an EV Ride & Drive, Mending Cafe’, Youth Climate Action Event, and SHIFT CO2 Challenge

Sustainable Living Association (SLA) will host Earth Day Fort Collins on Saturday, April 23 from 11 am – 5 pm at Civic Center Park, 201 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins (SustainableLivingAssociation.org). This year continues the collaboration with the City of Fort Collins to provide interactive and educational opportunities for attendees to learn about the Climate Action Plan and how to participate. Admission is free and attendees are asked to bring a donation or nonperishable food items for the Food Bank for Larimer County.

Earth Day Fort Collins is a combination of activities and events for the entire family, featuring informational booths and displays, educational opportunities, arts and crafts, live music, speakers, food trucks, a beer garden and a mini farmers market.  This year the Sustainable Living Association is honored to have the support of the Fort Fund Grant and the Bohemian Community Event Fund Award.  These organizations help to spread the word as a nonprofit and help to enhance the impact the Sustainable Living Association can have on businesses and community members in Fort Collins.

Northern Colorado Clean Cities will be on-site hosting an Electric Vehicle Ride and Drive and will help answer questions consumers may have about owning an EV. The event features the 3rd annual SHIFT Earth Day Challenge coordinated by the City of Fort Collins, challenging area residents to compete in a competition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While the adults are test-driving EVs, children can enjoy a fun scavenger hunt and compost-themed activities put on by Compost Queen and A1 Organics.  The Mending Cafe will be on site as an excellent resource to bring new life to old clothing that needs hemming or repairs.

With local food from La Piadina and Antojitos Del Sureste, local coffee from the Brightside Coffee trailer, and local beer from New Belgium and Odell Brewing, Earth Day Fort Collins has something for everyone.  The day will begin with yoga in the park hosted by Old Town Yoga and will be followed by some incredible live music.  Autumnal, May Be Fern, School of Rock, and Satellite Pilot will provide entertainment throughout the day, with live speakers presenting in between sets. For more information check out the MainStage schedule.

During the NEW Youth Climate Action event, local youth will gather to train and inspire other youth in 4 different educational areas focused on climate change and how to take action. This event is led, organized and implemented by youth who are aware of the effects of climate change on the planet and they want to do something about it.  The Sustainable Living Association is honored to have the support of the City of Fort Collins Utilities for the pilot year of this event.  The Youth Writing and Art contest inspires middle-school and high school students to share “what sustainability means to them” and to submit their works for review by April 4, winners will be featured at the event and will be awarded prize bags from Scheels.

The Sustainable Living Association helps to promote Fort Collins as a city that is active in the implementation of sustainable practices. Earth Day Fort Collins provides attendees an opportunity to learn what area businesses, non-profits, and the local government do to support this global environmental effort and how citizens can get involved.

Earth Day has inspired and mobilized individuals and organizations worldwide to demonstrate their commitment to environmental protection and sustainability. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world. Fort Collins is a leader in developing sustainable practices and has gained much attention for these efforts.

The Sustainable Living Association is a grassroots non-profit organization that brings the concept and practices of sustainable lifestyles into everyday life. SLA serves the Rocky Mountain region, providing opportunities designed to educate people on sustainable lifestyles that promote environmental and social responsibility. SLA accomplishes its work through a Sustainability Leadership Program, the Impact Series on Climate Change and is working with the City of Fort Collins to reimagine the past ClimateWise program for businesses. SLA also features other community events that connect citizens with environmental stewardship and sustainable development. For twenty-two years the SLA has been at the forefront of the sustainable living and lifestyle movement in our region. As a community working collectively, our impact continues to grow through outreach and education.

To learn more about Earth Day Fort Collins, visit sustainablelivingassociation.org/events/earth-day-fort-collins/-2.  For more information regarding the city’s new plans of Our Climate Future, the Climate Action plan, Energy Reduction plan or the Road to Zero Waste plan please visit Our Climate Future Plan (1).