Love thy Mother: Earth Day events around Charlotte include street and creek cleanup, festivals
Earth Day is April 20, but in the Charlotte area, we’re celebrating across multiple days. And for good reason — it’s a good time to reset our own expectations for how we can help treat Mother Earth with the love she deserves. Below, you’ll find events that help you donate those used household goods, organize creek and street cleanups and even giveaways for free trees.
Ongoing events
Clean the Queen with Envision Charlotte
Location: 932 Seigle Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205
When: Now through Friday, April 21
Cost: Free
Sign up for a volunteer slot by emailing engage@envisioncharlotte.org. You’ll be given an area of town, safety vest, litter pickers and bags. Wear comfortable clothes and plan to show up 10 minutes before your shift. Snap a photo of your area before and after, then bring your litter back to the Innovation Barn. The onsite coffee shop opens at 7 a.m., and Giddy Goat will be selling empanadas and lunch items. A celebration party will be held on Friday:
1-2:30 p.m.: Grand Opening of Community Apiary, featuring local honey tastings from Bee Downtown.
3-6 p.m.: Celebrate the week other volunteers, a live band, food, beer and wine. Awards will be announced at 5 p.m.
Visit the website for the full list of events.
Charlotte Observer’s Earth Day subscription sale
Location: Virtual
When: Now through Sunday, April 23
Cost: $5 for 3 months of unlimited digital access
Save the trees (and newsprint) by hopping on The Charlotte Observer’s Earth Day digital sale. Bonus: Access to all of CharlotteFive’s content is included in your subscription!
Friday, April 21
Location: Brixham Park, 15801 Brixham Hill Ave, Charlotte, NC 28277
When: Friday, April 21; 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., and 5-9 p.m.
Cost: Free for daytime events; food available for purchase; $10 for movie night
In Ballantyne, Northwood Office will host a free shredding, meditation and movie night. Here are the details:
8 a.m. to noon: You can shred and recycle personal documents and donate household items to Goodwill.
8 a.m. to noon: Outdoor meditation and yoga flow with SweatNET Charlotte.
8 a.m. to noon: Feast with food trucks, play games and listen to live music.
5 to 9 p.m.: Outdoor movie night showing of “Finding Nemo.” Food and drink options available for purchase on site.
Saturday, April 22
Mecklenburg County Earth Day events
Location: Varies
When: Varies
Cost: Varies
Mecklenburg County is hosting a plethora of Earth Day events. Here are a couple:
Saturday, April 22 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.: Sweep the streets around Naomi Drenan Rec Center.
Saturday, April 22 from 1-3 p.m.: Earth Day scavenger hunt at McDowell Nature Center.
Make sure to register online before the events fill up!
Cemetery headstone preservation
Location: Steele Creek Presbyterian Church Cemetery; 7001 Steele Creek Pres Ch, Charlotte, NC 28217
When: Saturday, April 22; 9 a.m.-noon
Cost: Free
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Association’s Adventure Club will host a cemetery headstone preservation event at Charlotte’s historic Steele Creek Presbyterian Church Cemetery. Air pollution is contributing to the deterioration of headstones. You’ll be using a mild biodegradable, pH neutral solution to protect them for years. Register by April 20. Contact the commission with any questions.
Birdsong Brewing creek cleanup
Location: 1016 N. Davidson St. Charlotte, NC 28206
When: Saturday, April 22; 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Cost: Free
Join Birdsong Brewing’s team for its annual cleanup of the brewery’s adopted portion of Little Sugar Creek and the surrounding streets. There’s an after-party and a vinyl reuse workshop hosted by UpCycle Arts CLT. Here are the details:
10 a.m. -12 p.m.: Creek Clean Up
12-2 p.m.: After party, where non-alcoholic beverages and pizza will be provided for volunteers at the brewery’s taproom.
1-5 p.m.: Vinyl reuse workshop
Location: Bell Tower Green Park, 120 South Church Street, Salisbury, NC, United States,
When: Saturday, April 22; 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Cost: Free
Salisbury’s annual Earth Day Jam is a music and arts festival that will celebrate Earth Day. Here is what you can expect at the festival:
Members of local agencies and nonprofits offering help with education.
Local farmers and growers selling produce.
Artisans and craftsmen selling goods
Yoga and reflexology
Local foods, sweets and libations from New Sarum Brewing Company and Dover Vineyards
15 local, regional, and nationally touring bands on two stages.
Location: 932 Seigle Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205
When: Saturday, April 22, 1-3 p.m.
Cost: Free
Help create the first Black Political Caucus quilt using reused recycled, and repurposed T-shirts donated by members of the caucus. Registration is required; contact Keiba Young at (704) 453-4456 or bpc.iiivc@gmail.com or CT Anderson at (704-565-9144) or info@springclean.org for details.
Brunch for the planet at Snooze
Location: 1331 Central Ave Suite 100, Charlotte, NC 28205
Location: 2041 South Blvd Suite 106, Charlotte, NC 28203
Location: 4425 Sharon Rd S170, Charlotte, NC 28211
When: Saturday, April 22, all day
Cost: Cost of your meal
Snooze A.M. Eatery will plant a tree on behalf of each member of its loyalty program who eats at Snooze on Saturday. Sign up for the program, order a pancake flight and dine happy, knowing that the restaurant has pledged to plant up to 3,000 trees this year.
Saturday, April 29
Green Fest at the Downtown Hickory Farmers Market
Location: The Sails on the Square, 246 Union Square NW, Hickory, NC 28601
When: Saturday, April 29; 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
Cost: Free
The City of Hickory will celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day with a booth at the Downtown Hickory Farmers’ Market. Stop by the city’s booth to get:
Free potted trees (silver maples, eastern redbuds, river birch, white dogwoods, and burr oaks)
Free milkweed seeds to attract monarch butterflies
Additional giveaways
Information about environmental stewardship.
