Earth Day 2026

Earth Day is Saturday, April 18, 2026 at the Switchyard Park Pavilion from 12 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The City of Bloomington welcomes you to the fourth annual Earth Day celebration at Switchyard Park on Saturday, April 18, 2026 from 12-3:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, and will feature food and drinks, arts, games, local vendors in the pavilion, freebies, tree giveaways, and more. This event is hosted as a joint effort of the Department of Economic and Sustainable Development, Parks and Recreation Department, and City of Bloomington Utilities.

Attractions

Live music update 4/17 - Unfortunately due to the thunderstorms, wind, and chilly temperatures forecast for Saturday, the live music has been cancelled.

Food trucks and refreshments: Uno Mas, Planted, Wagyu Ninja, Chocolate Moose, and Rasta Pops

Tree seedling giveaway: the Parks and Recreation department will be handing out native tree seedlings, first come first served

Community-driven art project: Artists for Climate Awareness, led by artist Sara Steffey McQueen, invites event attendees (age 8 and up) to contribute to a sand art mandala that will take shape throughout the event. Attendees can lay sand along guiding lines or freestyle. The sand mandala is meant to offer participants an individual, yet collaborative and expressive experience to depict care for the planet expressed through color and shapes. This is intended as a celebration of Earth Day, to allow families and individuals to have a voice expressing topics that mean the most for their lives. The community mandala will bring a shared opportunity for healing by inviting everyone to add colors, shapes, and lines to build a completed design.

Electric vehicle demo: check out EVs owned by local drivers and ask them questions about owning an EV.

Upcycled games: lawn games for the whole family, constructed out of repurposed and recycled materials

Face painting by Sprout of the Blue

Art for Earth Bloomington art sale: the local nonprofit Art for Earth Bloomington, a project of the Center for Sustainable Living, will display locally made art for sale, and proceeds will raise funds for environmental organizations.

Electronics donation drive: IU-led BinaryHeart will be collecting used electronic devices in the pavilion. Eligible donations include laptops, tablets, phones, PCs, or spare parts like RAM or SSDs (preferably reset or wiped of data). BinaryHeart will refurbish devices and donate them to schools and underserved communities.

Variety of booths hosted by the City of Bloomington, local environmental and sustainability organizations. Get connected with volunteer opportunities, learn more about local environmental initiatives, ask experts questions about home energy efficiency and solar, and more.

Eco-Heroes Art Contest

Any Bloomington resident or student K-12 can submit an entry into the Eco-Heroes Art Contest hosted by the Environmental Commission. This year's theme is "Our Nature at Night" and art of a wide variety of formats and media are accepted from March 17 at 8am to April 7 at 5pm. Winners will be awarded at Earth Day 2026 and the art will be on display in the pavilion throughout the event. 

For questions about Earth Day 2026, send an email to [email protected].