It’s 2026, and there are way too many daily emergencies coming at us collision-course style. But underneath it all is the ground we stand on, and no matter what else is happening, we need to protect it. So advocate for your planet, educate yourself, and meet fellow concerned earthlings at a pre-Earth Day gathering on Sunday, April 19 (official observance is April 22), at the Earth Day 2026 Festival at Union Square, always a happening location this time of year.
The annual event is run by Earth Day Initiative, a nonprofit focused on promoting environmental awareness through year-round programs, partnering with schools, community groups, businesses, and government. The organization was founded by a coalition of environmental groups in 1990 to mark the 20th anniversary of Earth Day; its first festival was held in Central Park. The focus is a call for climate action, bringing together ecology-minded nonprofits, sustainable businesses, and other concerned groups and individuals.
The lineup will include live performances, including Brooklyn-based musical artist and activist Hila the Earth (Hila Perry), who raps about earthy topics such as “trees, vegetables, compost, soil health, water, mushrooms,” and who is also known on TikTok for her eco-centric remix of Cardi B’s “WAP, ” because we surely do live on a “Wet Ass Planet.” Sustainable foods will be highlighted in a plant-based cooking demo with chef Guy Vaknin (City Roots Hospitality); other exhibitors in the packed schedule include Mercy For Animals, Manhattan Urban Park Rangers, Out For Sustainability, World Wildlife Fund, Green Jobs Board, and March For Science NYC, as well as a collaborative art installation with Okamoto Studio.
It’s easy to be cynical and jaded about Earth Day, as you try to manage that teeth-wacking stainless-steel straw and break in those vegan boots while chaos envelops the world. But, as Earth Day Initiative exhorts on its website, you can still “Join the climate conversation at a pivotal time.” If it turns out to be too late, at least you can say you tried. ❖
Earth Day 2026 Festival
Sunday, April 19, 12–6 p.m.
Union Square (East 17th Street and Park Avenue South entrance)
Free and open to the public
