Earth Day

April 3, 2024

50+ streets in NYC to go car-free for Earth Day

New York City's car-free Earth Day event is back and better than ever. On Saturday, April 20, 53 streets and plazas across the five boroughs will be closed to cars and open for pedestrians and cyclists, nearly doubling the number of locations from last year. Running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the annual Open Streets: Car-Free Earth Day includes seven signature event locations and 46 partner-produced open street locations, featuring public art, community programming, live performances, and more.
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April 20, 2023

7 ways to celebrate Earth Day in NYC

New Yorkers have been celebrating Earth Day ever since the holiday was created over 50 years ago. During the first observation on April 22, 1970, the city closed Fifth Avenue to traffic from Union Square to Central Park as part of an "ecological carnival." For the last several decades, New York City has marked Earth Day with environment-focused events, volunteer opportunities, and educational workshops. This year, honor Mother Nature by attending the city's largest-ever car-free celebration, taking in artwork that explores our relationship with Earth, learning about NYC's edible plants, shopping sustainably, volunteering at a park clean-up, and more.
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April 5, 2023

NYC to host largest-ever car-free Earth Day celebration

New York City is marking Earth Day with its largest car-free celebration yet. The city's Department of Transportation's annual Open Streets: Car-Free Earth Day event connects 100 open streets across the city, 22 plazas, and over 1,000 miles of the five borough's bike network to promote environmental activism and sustainable forms of transportation. This year's celebration will be held on Saturday, April 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and include seven separate signature event locations and 23 community-produced locations featuring live performances, fitness instruction, giveaways, and educational programming.
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April 8, 2022

100 streets across NYC to go car-free for Earth Day

In celebration of Earth Day, the city's Department of Transportation is hosting the annual Car Free Earth Day, connecting over 100 open streets across the five boroughs, 22 plazas, and over 1,000 miles of the city's bike network on April 23 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. City agencies and community organizations will host programming along the streets to promote environmental activism and education about climate change, sustainability, and other related topics. DOT will also partner with local artists who will be putting on live performances.
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April 21, 2021

Here’s where to volunteer to keep NYC parks clean this Earth Day

This Earth Day, New Yorkers can give back to the green spaces that gave us so much during the last year by volunteering to help keep them beautiful. Several organizations and community groups are hosting cleanup sessions at parks across the five boroughs this week, allowing city residents to nurture their green thumbs, enjoy the springtime weather, and connect with nature. "There is no single greater resource than the natural world around us," Mitchell J. Silver, NYC Parks Commissioner, said in a press release. "The Earth offers us so much; it is our home and it is imperative that we work to protect, beautify, and preserve it." Ahead, find an Earth Day event happening in your neighborhood.
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April 19, 2019

Parts of every NYC borough will go car free next weekend for Earth Day

To celebrate Earth Day next weekend, New York City is closing some of its streets to cars. As part of an annual event run by the city's Department of Transportation, 30 blocks of Broadway from Times Square to Union Square will be closed on April 27 to allow pedestrians and cyclists to roam and ride free between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Along the nearly two-mile route, the city will offer some environmental programs and nonprofit organizations will be on-site to educate walkers about climate change and sustainability.
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April 20, 2017

Art Nerd New York’s top event picks for the week – 4/20-4/26

In a city where hundreds of interesting events occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Ahead Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer shares her top picks for 6sqft readers! Photography lovers are in for a treat this week: New York legend Martha Cooper opens a new exhibition of her photographs of graffiti in the 1970s and 80s; historic works from India by iconic street photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson are on show at the Rubin Museum; and touching portraits of West Africa by young photographer Anne Barlinckhoff are being showcased at The Quin. If you need a break from real life, take in the immersive and contemplative installation of Doug Wheeler, or float away on Pinaree Sanpitak’s meditative piece at Brookfield Place. Finally, join in on an Earth Day conversation in Times Square, or take in the work of “forgotten “ New York street artist Richard Hambelton in an event happening one night only.
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