Earth Day Festival

With spring heating up, the Virginia Museum of Natural History and Martinsville City Parks and Recreation, along with community partners, are hoping warm weather and sunshine are in store for the annual Earth Day festival on Saturday, April 23 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at J. Frank Wilson Memorial Park in Martinsville.

The free festival encourages residents to get outside and celebrate our planet with games, crafts, live animals, guided trail hikes, wildlife identification, environmentally friendly balloon animals, face painting, and temporary tattoos.  The festival also includes live music by Kim and Jimbo Cary, who perform using all-natural instruments that children can use to play alongside them.  Food will be available for purchase.

“We’re entering the time of year families are looking to get outside and enjoy the warmer weather and the Earth Day festival will provide a fun, festive atmosphere to do just that,” said Christy Deatherage, outreach education coordinator for the museum.

The festival is a product of the museum’s Martinsville and Henry County Community Nature Network, which works with community partners to help residents reconnect with the outdoors.

“Outdoor programming and events are an important aspect of the museum’s educational initiative,” said Dr. Denny Casey, director of education and public programs at the museum.  “We believe in the importance of providing an avenue for the public to reconnect with nature from educational, health, preservation, and stewardship standpoints.  Studies frequently show a disconnect with nature, especially in young children, and events like the Earth Day Festival have been designed to help offset this."

For more information, please email the museum at discover@vmnh.virginia.gov.

*In case of inclement weather, the festival will be held inside the museum.