By Parker Stevens
Parker served as Development Associate for Appalachian Voices from January 2010 to December 2011, coordinating our membership and directing two Riverkeeper festivals for the organization. She left to head up the Appalachian Women’s Fund based in Boone, N.C.

The sun is shining the weather is warming up and Earth Day is upon us. Appalachian Voices has a lot planned for the upcoming 41st annual Earth Day. Come out and see us at any of the following events. If you can’t make it to one of these celebrations, try spending the day making a difference in your community.

Charlotte Clean and Green Festival (Charlotte, NC)
Saturday, April 16th from 11am to 4pm
Located at the Central Campus of Central Piedmont Community College, this green festival will offer individuals, families and businesses the opportunity to learn about home efficiency, green living, solar photovoltaic, green remodeling, building and green careers. Visit Charlotte Clean and Green Festival to learn more.

Piedmont Earth Day Fair (Winston-Salem, NC)
Saturday, April 16th from 10am to 5pm
The Triad’s largest Earth Day event will be located at the Dixie Classic Fairgrounds and is designed to promote environmental stewardship through practical life applications. There will be over 100 exhibits plus scavenger hunts, games and live music. The goal is to host a Fair for 10,000+ people and not send any waste to the landfill. Click here for more details.

Planet Art’s eARTh Day Celebration (Asheville, NC)
Wednesday, April 20th from 5pm to 7pm
Join us for a ribbon cutting with food, drinks, networking, and door prizes. But it doesn’t end there! There will also be great discounts, a costume party, and a yART sale taking place Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, respectively. Visit Planet Art online for more info.

Trees on Fire Concert (Charlottesville, VA)
Friday, April 22nd at 8:30pm
Join Appalachian Voices and Trees On Fire at The Jefferson Theatre in Charlottesville for an evening of great music benefiting a good cause! The band is donating 5% of album proceeds from their new album Organica to Appalachian Voices. Band member Rob Mezzanotte says “Trees on Fire’s music is a reflection of the current crisis we’re all in right now around the world and the need to make some better decisions.” For tickets and more information visit the Jefferson Theater online.

EcoFair (Charlottesville, VA)
Saturday, April 23rd from 11am to 4:30pm
The 10th annual EcoFair will be located at the nTelos Wireless Pavilion. Come celebrate a decade of promoting and increasing environmental awareness in and around Charlottesville. Participate in workshops and demos including rain barrel construction, worm composting and LiveRoof demo. Come and enjoy wonderful food and drinks and listen to some great live music. Visit Click here to learn more.

Beyond Coal Earth Day Rally(Charlottesville, VA)
Friday, April 22nd from 2pm to 3pm
Join us along with the Sierra Club and the University of Virginia for a student-lead rally for clean energy. The event will feature live music and speakers including Adam Hall and Larry Gibson.
Location: O’Hill Field on UVA Campus
Contact mike[at]appvoices.org for more information.