Best Ways To Celebrate Earth Day In Chicago

Although every day should celebrate this gorgeous planet that humanity calls home, there is actually one specific day of the year designated to that very thing - Earth Day. Observed for more than 40 years now and celebrated each year on April 22, Earth Day is honored - aptly so - across the globe, to assemble and recognize environmental protections. With almost 200 nations now coordinating efforts to celebrate Earth Day, there are opportunities to get involved almost regardless of where you are on the planet. But there are ways to celebrate Earth Day right here in the Windy City as well - here are some of the best ways to celebrate Earth Day in Chicago!

Date: Saturday, April 29, 2017

One of the best ways to honor Mother Earth is to actually care for her, and what better way to do so than by treating her to a make-over - so to speak. On Sat. April 29 (just following Earth Day), come out to Chinatown's 12-acre Ping Tom Park and participate in their Earth Day Parks & Preserves Clean Up and Celebration. Hosted by Friends of the Park, this annual event has been going on now for 28 years and is a great way to lend a hand to a community effort and have fun while doing so. And when you sign up for the Earth Day celebration at Ping Tom Park you'll also be awarded a free canoe ride on the stately Chicago River!

Date: Saturday, April 22, 2017 at 11 a.m.

It's spring time in our hemisphere - and what that means is there are now ample opportunities to enjoy planet Earth outdoors under the warm sun and amid a buffet of colorful flowers. It's time to get up, get out, dust oneself off, and move to both celebrate and help our home - i.e. the Earth! Taking place on Earth Day this year in Chicago's gorgeous and iconic Lincoln Park is the Race Against Extinction Earth Day 5K & Bear Cub Kids Fun Run. Created in an effort to spark awareness of the need to protect endangered plants and animals and raise money for habitat preservation, there's simply no better day to do all this than on Earth Day. Opened to experienced runners, walkers, groups, kids, and even skaters/roller bladers, come out to help the planet and have some fun all at the same time.

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Date: Saturday, April 22, 2017 at 11 a.m.

Few things can be more rewarding than picking up trash and beautifying an already beautiful Chicago park - except for pizza, pizza is always rewarding all in itself. But what if you could partake in a fun and satisfying community event and then top it off with pizza? Sounds almost too good to be true but it's not! At the LoganSquarist Earth Day Pick-Up Party, volunteers will clean up what winter left behind and then celebrate your efforts and celebrate Earth Day with some pizza, appetizers, and discounted beverages at Dunlays on the Square. Space is limited however, so be sure to sign up soon.

Date: Saturday, April 22, 2017 at 1 p.m.

There simply is no bad time, no ill-advised time, to visit the Chicago Botanic Garden. Opened more than four decades ago the Chicago Botanic Garden has grown into a living museum and conservation science center - and also one of the most picturesque settings in the entire Chicagoland area. With more than one million visitors each year, the Chicago Botanic Garden is a great place to celebrate our planet and everything it has to offer ever single day of the year, but maybe even a little more so on Earth Day. This Earth Day, come out to the Garden for an extra special Earth Day Walk exploring Mary Mix McDonald Woods, a 100-acre space of rare oak woodlands. A guide for the walk will point out spring wildflowers, and talk about the Garden's restoration efforts that are underway.

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