Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival set for April 29-30

Celebrating a legacy of environmental protection

The Community Environmental Council (CEC) and CarpEvents are proud to announce the 53rd annual Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival, taking place on April 29 and 30 at Alameda Park. This event is one of the longest-running and largest Earth Day celebrations on the West Coast, and it brings together the community to celebrate and raise awareness about the importance of environmental protection.

The festival was born out of the devastation caused by the massive oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara in 1969. The spill caught the attention of Senator Gaylord Nelson, founder of Earth Day, who visited Santa Barbara shortly after the spill. This event gave rise to the first Earth Day in 1970, as well as the creation of the Community Environmental in areas with the most impact on climate change. Their programs provide pathways to clean vehicles, solar energy, resilient food systems, and reduction of single-use plastic.

One of the highlights of the festival is the Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival’s Green Car Show, the longest-running public Green Car Show in the U.S. The show will showcase the latest in electric vehicle technology, providing attendees with the opportunity to testdrive the cleanest and most advanced vehicles on the market.

In addition to the Green Car Show, the festival will feature a Kids Corner, with activities and family-friendly performances for children of all ages. The event will also include two days of live music and entertainment on multiple stages, as well as the best farm-to-table climate-friendly food and drinks from local vendors.

The legacy of the Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival dates back to the 1969 oil spill in the Santa Barbara Channel, which galvanized

Environmental Council. The spill was one of the largest in U.S. waters at the time, and it resulted in the deaths of thousands of birds, dolphins, seals, and sea lions.

In the aftermath of the spill, President Nixon visited Santa Barbara and Senator Gaylord Nelson saw the 800-square-mile oil slick from an airplane, inspiring him to create Earth Day. Over 20 million Americans participated in Earth Day events across the country on April 22, 1970, including a one-block-long gathering organized by the Community Environmental Council in Santa Barbara.

The spill also led to the formation of several Santa Barbara-based environmental organizations, including the Community Environmental Council, the Environmental Defense Center, the Environmental Studies Program at UC Santa Barbara, and Get Oil Out! These organizations continue to work towards a sustainable future for the planet.

For more information about the Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival, including the Green Car Show, music and entertainment lineup, and food and drink offerings, please visit sbearthday.org.

About Community Environmental Council

The Community Environmental Council is one of the most established environmental organizations in the region, with a mission to pioneer real-life solutions to the most pressing environmental challenges. Through their programs, they provide pathways to clean vehicles, solar energy, resilient food systems, and reduction of single-use plastic.