Held at Santa Barbara’s Arlington Theatre, CEC’s Earth Day Features Annual Climate Leadership Summit, Green Car Show, 2nd Annual Earth Day Mural, Environmental Hero Award, Evening Concert Headlined by locals Jackson Gillies and No Simple Highway
SANTA BARBARA — For the first time since 2019, Community Environmental Council (CEC) is hosting Santa Barbara Earth Day in person. The one-day event, in and around the Arlington Theatre, features a wide array of activities to generate the inspiration and motivation needed for building community support to tackle climate challenges.
The FREE daytime event will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 23. An evening concert, a separate ticketed event, will begin at 7 p.m. Full details are at: SBEarthDay.org. Due to current COVID-19 restrictions on large public events, proof of vaccination will be required for entry and the event will adhere to the most up-to-date County Public Health COVID-19 guidelines.
CEC’s Santa Barbara Earth Day 2022 event features attractions that have been a mainstay of the event for decades: a Green Car Show, almost 30 interactive climate action booths, inspirational speakers, art contests and more.
Earth Day 2022 will also highlight the critical role CEC has played across the region for more than 50 years, shining a light on the system changes, policy implementation and individual action needed to meet the urgency of the climate crisis. Key to this is the Annual Climate Leadership Summit, which starts at 3 p.m. The Summit will feature climate actions that organizations and individuals are undertaking throughout the region, with an emphasis on nurturing strategies that leverage intergenerational connections. Eric Cardenas, CEO of LOACOM, will act as the program’s emcee and co-facilitate the Climate Leadership Summit with CEC CEO Sigrid Wright.
“In the two years since we were able to last gather in person for our annual Earth Day festival, the climate crisis has accelerated. The Central Coast community has endured significant environmental challenges–and the need to collaborate and recommit to finding a better way forward is urgent,” said Community Environmental Council CEO, Sigrid Wright. “By designing a Climate Leadership Summit within the festival, we’re providing a platform for climate activists and social change agents to accelerate progress.”
Kathi King, Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival Director, added, “We are thrilled to provide a venue where we can come together in person and celebrate amazing artists, youth activists and community efforts. This kind of cross-pollination is essential for collective action.”
The Arlington stage will feature programming throughout the day beginning at 10 a.m. with a Chumash blessing. Programming highlights include:
- Second hand fashion show in partnership with Buffalo Exchange Ventura, The Closet Trading Company and VanJane LA
- Short films from the SBC Food Action Network, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Wildling Museum
- CEC’s Environmental Hero Award Ceremony
- CEC’s Annual Climate Leadership Summit, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- Tables in the Arlington breezeway from organizations and businesses offering action on climate
- Green Car Show in parking lot behind the theater
To cap off the day, Carp Events is organizing an evening concert featuring local favorites Alastair Greene, Jackson Gillies and No Simple Highway, along with some exciting special guests. Continuing our celebration of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the concert’s theme is “1972” and performances will feature songs from that year. The concert will be a separate, ticketed event. Information on how to purchase tickets and other details will be available soon.
Additional cultural events include:
- 2nd Annual Climate-Themed Mural Open Call, organized by Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara, Community Environmental Council and Paseo Nuevo. The winning muralist will install their art near the 2021 mural on the upper deck of the Paseo Nuevo parking lot. Applications are accepted through March 11. Details: www.mcasantabarbara.org/earth-day-mural
- “Climate Change: Our Impact” poetry competition with youth and adult categories, organized by the Wildling Museum of Art & Nature. Poetry entries will be judged by poets Sojourner Kincaid Rolle, former Santa Barbara Laureate (2015-2017) and Chryss Yost, former Santa Barbara Poet Laureate (2013-2015). The top three winners in both categories will receive cash prizes and the opportunity to share their poems on stage at the April 23 event. Submission deadline is March 21, 2022 at 5 p.m. Details: https://wildlingmuseum.org/news/2022-earth-day-poetry-competition
- Environmental Alliance of Santa Barbara County Museums will present Impact: Climate Change & the Urgency of Now. Eleven museums, a zoo and a botanic garden present first-of-its-kind collaboration with exhibits, events and programs from April to September 2022. Details: https://www.sbmuseumsalliance.org/
- 19th Annual “What the Channel Means to Me” Student Art Show, hosted by Santa Barbara Channelkeeper. The contest is open to high school students from Carpinteria to Goleta and serves to highlight our region’s natural beauty while celebrating student creativity and artistic skills. Details coming soon at https://www.sbck.org/
CEC’s Santa Barbara Earth Day 2022 event sponsors include: Advanced Veterinary Specialists, Bye Bye Mattress, Carp Growers, Central Coast Clean Cities Coalition (C5), City of Santa Barbara, County of Santa Barbara’s One Climate Initiative, KJEE, K-LITE, KTYD, Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, MarBorg Industries, Matilija Pure Water Systems, Noozhawk,
Santa Barbara Independent, Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District, Santa Barbara Clean Energy, Santa Barbara Independent, Toad & Co., and Water With Life.
CEC’s Earth Day production partners, who contribute their time and expertise to produce the event,include: Carp Events, Central Coast Clean Cities Coalition (C5), LOACOM, Oniracom, Pharos Creative, Santa Barbara City College Environmental Studies, The Arlington Theatre, UCSB Environmental Studies and Write Kinda Girl.
Interactive booths at the event include — Central Coast Climate Justice Network, Environmental Alliance of Santa Barbara County Museums, Environmental Defense Center, Fairview Gardens, League of Women Voters Santa Barbara, SB Bike + COAST, Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, Santa Barbara County Food Action Network, and Society of Fearless Grandmothers.
About CEC’s Santa Barbara Earth Day — Widely acknowledged as the birthplace of Earth Day, Santa Barbara’s involvement began with the devastating 1969 oil spill off its coast. This led a local group of concerned citizens to begin discussing a different way of looking at environmental systems. During that time, Senator Gaylord Nelson visited Santa Barbara to view the oil spill damage. When he returned to Washington, D.C., he introduced a bill designating April 22 as a national day to celebrate the earth. Over the next few years, the environmental movement was born across the country – including CEC. Led by a group of forward-thinking youth and elders, CEC incorporated in the spring of 1970 and its first act as a new nonprofit was to hold an Earth Day celebration – a one block long teach-in between State St. and Chapala St. along Anapamu. Around the country, 20 million concerned citizens attended similar events. We recognize that “every day is earth day” and that special events like this are a way to bring diverse voices from our community together as a reminder to tread lightly on the planet.
For up-to-the-minute information on CEC’s Earth Day 2022:
• Find Earth Day on the web at SBEarthDay.org
• Like “Santa Barbara Earth Day” on Facebook.com/SBEarthDay
• Follow the event on Twitter @SBEarthday and on Instagram @SB_EarthDay
About the Community Environmental Council (CEC) — Recognized as a 2020 California Nonprofit of the Year and 2020 City of Santa Barbara Climate Hero, CEC has worked since 1970 to incubate and innovate real life environmental solutions that directly affect the California Central Coast. Our current work advances rapid and equitable solutions to the climate crisis – including ambitious zero carbon goals, drawdown of excess carbon, and protection against the impacts of climate change. Our programs lead to clean vehicles, solar energy, resilient food systems and reduction of single-use plastic. Learn more about why CEC is one of only five nonprofits in Santa Barbara County to have the highest possible ratings on Charity Navigator and Guidestar at CECSB.org/impact. Find CEC on the web at CECSB.org and on Facebook.com/CECSB, Instagram.com/CEC_SB, Twitter.com/CECSB, and LinkedIn.com/CECSB.