Earth Day Festivities in Central Coast California

Celebrate Earth Day in Carmel-by-the-Sea on April 22, presented by California’s City Chamber of Commerce and Central Coast Community Energy. Discover local green programs, products and incentives while participating in a tree-planting ceremony and volunteering and participating in activities with Carmel Youth Center.

One of the West Coast’s largest and longest-running Earth Day events, the Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival takes place April 29–30. Santa Barbara is known for its strong commitment to the environment and the festival offers a variety of ways to show gratitude for the planet.

New Experiences

In March, La Cumbre Plaza in Santa Barbara unveiled the Grace Fisher Foundation’s Inclusive Arts Clubhouse, a place where children of all ages and abilities can participate in a variety of creative activities such as art and music.

Until April 30, Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History showcases the Bay of Life exhibition, highlighting the beauty of Monterey Bay through works of art. Displays include extraordinary images alongside maps, archival photos and interpretive text from National Geographic photographer-writer team Frans Lanting and Chris Eckstrom. Bay of Life also showcases the wonders of the Monterey Bay landscape, from mountain lions and peregrine falcons to salmon, whales and elephant seals. It also celebrates the remarkable recovery of damaged ecosystems.

Island Packers recently received a 10-year concessions contract by the National Park Service to provide year-round boat transportation services from Ventura to five islands in the Channel Islands National Park. The contract focuses on sustainability improvements, including converting boats to diesel/electric hybrid transmissions with solar-charged batteries.

Upcoming Events

Sea Otter Classic, April 20–23, is a four-day “Celebration of Cycling” that has gained a reputation as the world’s biggest cycling festival. This event offers a perfect blend of recreational biking, competitive cycling, a festival atmosphere, expo and fun. The extravaganza caters to all ages and draws in 71,000 cycling enthusiasts from all over the globe.

The first-ever Natural Coast Wine Fest showcases Central Coast wine producers in Santa Barbara on Earth Day (April 22). The festival is held at Satellite, a natural wine bar and vegetarian restaurant owned by festival organizer Drew Cuddy. The unique event is the first of its kind to highlight natural wine producers in California and will feature up to 60 producer