Hendo Earth Day festival is coming to downtown

Bee City USA is offering free seeds during the first Hendo Earth Day festival. Photo provided by the Environmental Sustainability Board.

Hendersonville – The City of Hendersonville will celebrate Earth Day in style with the return of Hendo Earth Fest on Saturday, April 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Stretching from 6th Avenue to 4th Avenue in downtown Hendersonville, the festival aims to entertain, educate and empower participants to take action to protect the planet.

This is the second annual event organized by the City of Hendersonville Environmental Sustainability Board with partners including MountainTrue, Conserving Carolina, Team ECCO’s Aquarium & Shark Lab, Caregivers of Mother Earth and the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club.

The festival grew out of requests from local residents who proposed a festival to honor Earth Day and encourage action, said Environmental Sustainability Board member Ann Twiggs. The opening festival in 2023 attracted more than 2,000 visitors and organizers expect a larger turnout this year.

“We hope that people will take positive steps that they can take in their daily lives,” Twiggs said. “We want them to feel helped.”

The festival will feature 45 exhibitors on a range of environmental themes. Many will offer practical activities in addition to information. Exhibitors include municipal governments and recycling and waste management resources, as well as conservation organizations such as Champions for Wildlife and Henderson County Beekeepers.

Team ECCO, home to the famous stingray Charlotte, will have an exhibit including a photo booth and stilt walker. WNC Repair Shop will be there and encourages the repair of damaged items rather than throwing them away. There will also be a number of exhibitors focusing on solar energy, a popular topic among locals.

“A recent sustainability survey shows that 11% of Henderson County residents have solar panels, but 68% are interested in them,” Twiggs said.

Blue Ridge Bicycle Club will have an exhibit and is offering free, secure bike storage at City Hall to encourage visitors to bike to the event. The club is hosting a family-friendly bike ride starting at 10 a.m. at the First Congregational Church, along 4th Avenue and ending at the festival.

Hendo Earth Day also includes performances by local musicians throughout the day. Michele Skeele, Don McMahon & Friends and Tom Fisch will perform alongside a cappella group Atomic Sisterhood, singing environmentally focused renditions of popular tunes. The Hendersonville Ukulele Group and Hendersonville Community Co-Op HOOT will sing along with the audience.

Beginning at 11:45 a.m., Hendersonville Mayor Barbara Volk will deliver remarks and an Earth Day proclamation to mark the occasion. The Environmental Sustainability Board will also announce the Sustainability Hero Award, given to a city employee who has gone above and beyond to encourage more efficient and sustainable processes.

The Environmental Sustainability Board was formed in 2015 to advise the Hendersonville City Council on sustainability policies and conduct outreach work such as the Hendo Earth Day Festival. Current initiatives for the 10-member volunteer board include working with pollinators and composting programs, and creating a full sustainability plan, Twiggs said.