Earthfest 2023 is coming to downtown London on Saturday and is set to be the biggest Earth Day celebration in all of Canada.
The second annual Earthfest will feature over 90 exhibits, inspiring presentations, live music, engaging activities, food vendors, and more. Organizers say there will be something for everyone at Saturday's event, from interactive art workshops, to tree-planting lessons, to test drives on an electric bike.
In anticipation of unpredictable April weather, both indoor and outdoor venues have been secured for Earthfest 2023. Citi Plaza will be "transformed into an eco-extravaganza," according to the event website. Meanwhile, Dundas Place will be closed to traffic to make room for games and food vendors. The Central Library will also take part in the action, hosting workshops, booths, activities, and a "Repair Café," where folks can bring in broken or damaged items and get them fixed at no cost.
“For this year, the real focus is celebrating environmental action in London," said Heenal Rajani, an eco-conscious London entrepreneur who helped organize Earthfest 2023. "There’s always great things happening, people don’t know about it or don’t know how to get involved, they may feel disillusioned, or confused, or they don’t know where to find the information about environmental initiatives.”
Earth Day, which happens every year on April 22, is a great opportunity for those who feel out-of-touch with the natural world to find ways of reconnecting. Established in 1970, Earth Day has been celebrated for more than 50 years across the globe.
“It is something that unites the world, thinking about the planet that we share," Rajani says. "It’s not just something where you wear a button, or share a quote on social media, or do tokenistic action - let it be an opportunity to reconnect with one another, an opportunity for reflection, and an opportunity for action."
Earthfest 2023 will kick off Saturday at noon with a special water ceremony by Tracey Whiteye. The event will run until 5 p.m. at all three downtown locations.
This year's festival will foreground the Indigenous perspective on the environment, as Rajani says their connection to the natural world is something everybody in urban society can learn from.
"A lot of people see the climate crisis broken down into problems - the problem of pollution, the problem of waste, the problem of carbon - and there are all of these problems, but it’s not just about problems and solutions. It’s about relationships," Rajani said. "There’s been a breakdown of the relationship between humans and the planet that we inhabit."
The issue of climate change was gaining traction just a few years ago, but now, Rajani believes the movement has lost some of its momentum as the world has been distracted by a pandemic, war, and economic downturns. In only a few years, the climate crisis has gotten significantly worse.
“It’s an everything crisis. It’s a crisis of the environment, water, air, soil, biodiversity, oceans, coral leaching, ice caps melting," Rajani said.
Earth Day is an opportunity to refocus on the issue of climate change and start taking environmental action. Many people adopt their own traditions for April 22, such as keeping lights off, eating plant-based, or striving to produce zero waste for the day.
For others, much like New Year's, Earth Day is a chance to make a resolution or commit to a lifestyle change, like only shopping second-hand or biking to work.
Those interested in participating in community initiatives, such as the city's 12 Days of Cleaning, can reach out to the London Environmental Network for more ideas.