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Nashville to Celebrate Earth Day in Centennial Park

Socially Distanced Event To Be Held On Saturday, April 24 


NASHVILLE, TN – (April 12, 2021) – Nashville Earth Day, the city’s official annual event to celebrate Earth Day, will return to the Great Lawn in Centennial Park on Saturday, April 24 from 11 AM - 6 PM in a socially distanced format. This free family event will bring the Nashville community together to celebrate our planet and inspire positive environmental change. In addition to the socially distanced event, Nashville Earth Day will be presenting a series of engaging videos on its website for people who want to participate from home, while also promoting local environmental volunteer opportunities for those looking to make a direct impact in our community. In partnership with Amazon, Nashville Tree Foundation will be giving away 500 trees at this year's event.

“We are proud to have Centennial Park as the location of Nashville’s Earth Day celebration,” said Metro Parks Director Monique Odom. “This event, more so than any other, emphasizes the department’s mission to preserve, protect, and restore the natural heritage of the city’s municipal parklands for the benefit of the community and, in turn, the planet. Some people say that our planet is a speckle in space, but it is the only one we can call home and we will continually strive to preserve and nurture its beauty now and for generations to come.”

"To maintain our urban forest, it is important that we constantly plant new trees to replace those lost to age, storms, and development. Replanting is especially critical now as we face significant canopy loss due to the emerald ash borer." says Andrew Bell, Executive Director of Nashville Tree Foundation. "We are thrilled to be working with Amazon and Nashville Earth Day to provide trees that will make Nashville a healthier, greener place to live."

“Amazon is growing roots here in Nashville. In partnership with the Centennial Park Conservancy and the Nashville Tree Foundation, we are honored to sponsor Earth Day and donate these trees to our neighbors,” said Courtney Ross, Amazon’s Nashville Manager of External Affairs. “Through The Climate Pledge, we’re dedicated to zero net carbon by 2040. While this is a global goal for sustainability, we’ll get there by investing locally – building a sustainable business for our customers, our community, and the planet.”

ON-SITE EVENT ON THE GREAT LAWN IN CENTENNIAL PARK
Nashville Earth Day will feature growers & makers, nonprofit and government partners, yoga, children’s activities, live music, and food vendors. View event details nashvilleearthday.org/event-details.

Nashville Earth Day Features:

  • 500 Free Trees: In partnership with Amazon, Nashville Tree Foundation will be giving away 500 trees at the event. A variety of trees will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis.

  • Small World Yoga will offer a 45 minute socially distanced class that will run from 11:30 AM to 12:15 PM and will be located in front of the event stage. Space is limited; people can pre-register at nashvilleearthday.org/event-details.

  • Acoustic Music will be presented throughout the day and feature performances by six local artists. Attendees will be able to socially distance while listening to music at the stage via pods marked on the lawn.

    • 12:30 PM - Global Education Center drummers and dancers

    • 1:25 PM - Frank Evans and Ben Plotnick 

    • 2:20 PM - Kyshona 

    • 3:15 PM - Tristen 

    • 4:10 PM - Wu Fei 

    • 5:10 PM - Smooth Hound Smith 

  • Kidsville will feature take home activity kits for children to create their own bug hotel and an engaging Storybook Walk around Lake Watauga featuring the book Plants Can’t Stand Still.

  • Nonprofits and Government Agencies will provide education and inspiration for people to live sustainably and create positive environmental change.

  • Turnip Green Creative Reuse will be hosting a collaborative art activity for attendees to help create a large scale Earth Day banner using donated reuse and recycled materials.

  • Growers & Makers Market will provide opportunities to shop local for recycled, reused, up-cycled, and natural products from sustainable small businesses.

  • Food will be offered by a variety of local food trucks and vendors. There will be no alcohol served at this year's event.

  • Walk/Bike Nashville will provide a bike valet for attendees arriving by bicycle.

COVID-19 EVENT PROTOCOLS
We have established a set of event safety protocols based on current Health Department recommendations. As per Metro’s update on April 9, we will require that all patrons must wear a face covering over mouth and nose at all times due to the fact that we are unable to monitor social distancing in all areas of the event site. Since local COVID-19 recommendations are regularly evolving, we expect our final protocols will be in place by April 21 and suggest attendees check our website after that time and before visiting the event. To view a full list of COVID-19 event protocols, please visit nashvilleearthday.org/covid-guidelines.

EVENT TRANSPORTATION AND PARKING
Nashville Earth Day attendees are encouraged to bike to the event and take advantage of the free bike valet parking provided by Walk/Bike Nashville. 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. The park’s generous neighbors at HCA Healthcare will provide free parking in their lots along Park Plaza. Please note that the West End and 27th Avenue North entrances to Centennial Park are currently closed due to construction. To view an event parking map visit nashvilleearthday.org/parking.

VOLUNTEER AT THE NASHVILLE EARTH DAY EVENT
Nashville Earth Day is made possible by the many generous individuals who volunteer their time to present this free event for our community. You can show your support for Nashville Earth Day by volunteering on Saturday, April 24. Volunteer positions include General Volunteer and Rubbish Wranglers. To learn more about volunteering at Nashville Earth Day please visit, nashvilleearthday.org/volunteer. 


VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING TO CELEBRATE FROM HOME
Nashville Earth Day will present a series of engaging videos at nashvilleearthday.org/virtual-earth-day-2021 for people who want to participate from home. These videos will be presented from April 19 - 24 and include educational videos, demonstrations of environmentally friendly activities, and additional content connected to the cause of caring for our planet.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS FUNDED BY NASHVILLE EARTH DAY
Proceeds from Nashville Earth Day support environmental projects across our community, primarily focused on bees, trees, and water. In 2020, Nashville Earth Day funded the care of 160,000 bees that reside on Lake Watauga in Centennial Park, in partnership with Nashville Area Beekeepers Association. Nashville Earth Day also funded the introduction of 3,000 bees for Shelby Park and the creation of a Bee Sanctuary with fruit trees in the park, in partnership with Friends of Shelby Park. Nashville Earth Day funded 9,000 bees for Mill Ridge Park, and partnered with Metro Parks to underwrite the planting of 25 trees in Frederick Douglass Park. Nashville Earth Day created a local water stewardship partnership with Cumberland River Compact for maintenance and planting in public rain gardens and other public areas. In 2020, the program provided funding to support 12 water clean-up projects that are taking place this year. Nashville Earth Day also provides opportunities for people to volunteer in environmental projects in parks and other locations across our community. You can learn more at nashvilleearthday.org/environmental-projects.

NASHVILLE EARTH DAY 2021 SPONSORS
Nashville Earth Day is organized by Centennial Park Conservancy, in partnership with Metro Parks and Metro Public Works. The program is made possible and underwritten by the following socially responsible organizations who share our mutual concern for the environment and desire to inspire positive environmental change in our city.

Presenting Sponsors:
Amazon • Kroger • Republic Services • Waste Management

Supporting Sponsors:
Stringfellow

Event Sponsors:
Gresham Smith • Lightwave Solar • NES • Piedmont Natural Gas

Media Partners:
Lamar Advertising Company • Lightning 100

Business Vendors:
All American Gutter Protection • EarthMix • Power HRG • Live2Dance

Partners:
Centennial Park Conservancy • Metro Nashville Public Works
Metro Parks • Nashville Parks Foundation

About Nashville Earth Day:
Nashville Earth Day is the city’s official annual event to celebrate Earth Day. The free family event takes place in Centennial Park every April and brings the Nashville community together to celebrate our planet and inspire positive environmental change. The event is organized by Centennial Park Conservancy with participation from local community groups, environmental organizations, and state/metro agencies that collectively strive to educate Nashvillians about protecting our environment.