Earth Day 2024 is coming up soon on April 22nd! Since Fort Collins is surrounded by scenic natural beauty and our residents and visitors love the outdoors, Earth Day is a special day here every year. We strive to be an environmentally friendly city, focusing on a number of "green" initiatives and finding ways for us to become more sustainable. Read on to discover the best ways to celebrate Earth Day in Fort Collins this year!
Attend Special Earth Day Events in Fort Collins
Earth Day Fort Collins
Don't miss the 14th Annual Earth Day Fort Collins coming up on Saturday, April 20th at Civic Center Park. This free event features a combination of activities and events for the entire family, including informational booths and displays, kids activities, arts & crafts, live music, speakers, food trucks, farmers market and even a beer garden. Visit their website to find out more information.
Earth Day Celebration of Eco-Tourism
On Saturday, April 20th, the Global Adventures club at the Global Village Museum of Arts and Cultures is hosting an open house meet-and-greet highlighting ecotourism in the museum’s program room. As defined by The International Ecotourism Society, ecotourism is responsible travel that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education. Museum members and students from Warner College of Natural Resources at Colorado State University will be available to discuss ecotourism, and handouts and videos will supplement the conversation.
"The Lorax" Screening at The Lyric
Join the Compost Queen's Green Gala at the Lyric Theatre – where "The Lorax" speaks for the trees and Earth Day reigns supreme! This screening is sure to please anyone of any age, and it is presented by a wonderful company that is bringing composting and sustainability to the forefront in Fort Collins.
ASL Earth Day Event
On April 26th, Colorado State University's American Sign Language (ASL) Club proudly hosts a free event at City Park to commemorate Earth Day. In a unique celebration of deaf culture and community, they will plant a tree symbolizing growth, unity, and the interconnectedness of sign language with environmental consciousness. This event aims to foster a sense of community among ASL users and learners while promoting sustainability and environmental awareness.
Get Outside
There is no better way to celebrate Mother Earth than going outside and appreciating all her beauty! Fort Collins is home to thousands of trails, lakes, and streams in the surrounding foothills and mountains that are waiting to be discovered. Fort Collins is home to some of Colorado's best camping, fishing, hiking, and open spaces. From whitewater rafting to kayaking to disc golf, there are endless outdoor attractions to enjoy, no matter what you might be into.
Fort Collins' pride and joy, Horsetooth Reservoir, has a wide variety of both land and water activities, making it an ideal choice for your Earth Day adventure. Use the COTREX app to find trails perfect for you, and be sure to educate yourself on the Leave No Trace principles before you go out! One of the most unique things about Fort Collins is that we are surrounded by such beautiful natural scenery, so get out there and explore it and enjoy it this Earth Day!
Volunteer & Give Back to the Planet
What better way to celebrate Earth Day than actively cleaning up campgrounds, open spaces, and trails before the summer starts? Larimer County Natural Resources is hosting a few amazing opportunities for you to directly help our beautiful natural areas here in Fort Collins on Saturday, April 20th.
Earth Day Trail Project
Spend a day as part of Larimer County of Natural Resources' trail crew and assist with trail maintenance needs of the Blue Sky trail. Learn what it takes to keep a heavily used trail in good shape for a quality outdoor recreation experience. Volunteers will need to be able to hike up to 4 miles carrying trail hand tools and supplies for the day. Registration is required, so click here to sign up - and don't forget to wear tie-dye!
Clean Up Local Litter
Celebrate Earth Day by picking up and packing out local litter! Volunteers will head out around Carter Lake, Flatiron Reservoir, Pinewood Reservoir and Ramsay-Shockey Open Space to remove unsightly litter from the land. All ages are welcome so you can register as an individual, group, or family. Click here to sign up!
Visit an Environmentally Conscious Brewery or Restaurant
In Fort Collins, we are proud to be home to restaurants and breweries that value minimizing their impact on the world around us. Sustainability is important to the Fort Collins community, and we want to highlight a few of our favorite businesses that are going above and beyond to help guide us into a greener future.
The Fox Den: No Waste Cafe & Roastery
This adorable coffee shop just west of Old Town is a hidden gem and it is totally worth a visit! Their goal is to provide the Fort Collins community with freshly roasted specialty coffee, delicious pastries, a welcoming atmosphere, and 5-star service, all while maintaining their “No Waste” practices. It is the perfect first stop before kicking off your Earth Day weekend festivities!
Ginger & Baker
The legendary Ginger & Baker exemplifies what it means to be working towards a sustainable future as a business in Fort Collins. When their old grain mill opened its doors over 100 years ago, the health of the business went hand in hand with the health of the land and community - from seed to crop, to food for the animals and the people who kept it all going. Today, understanding the need for a healthy planet continues to be a part of the Ginger and Baker philosophy. Stop in to visit the Cafe where comfort food is done right, the Cache which is known for being a modern Colorado steakhouse, or the Market & Bakery to grab a coffee and a slice of delicious pie!
Horse & Dragon Brewing Company
After getting outdoors, what better way to cool off than with a well-earned beer? Horse & Dragon Brewing Company is the perfect spot to continue your Earth Day celebrations as the company constantly works with a triple-bottom-line mentality and focuses on how its brewery impacts the surrounding environment by leading the Fort Collins community in sustainability. Visit their taproom (which happens to be a repurposed airplane hangar), drink local favorite beer, and cheers to the wonderful planet we get to call home!
Bike Around Fort Collins
Fort Collins has been ranked as one of only 5 Platinum-Level Bike-Friendly Cities in the nation. What better way to celebrate this achievement and Earth Day than to experience it first-hand? Enjoy a day around town by bicycle! Start by renting a bike from Beer & Bike Tours or Pedego and head to City Park. Take in the gorgeous views of the Rocky Mountains, stop to take a break and enjoy the sun on the rolling green hills, and immerse yourself in the community. Then, bike down Mountain Avenue, which is full of beautiful and historic homes (arguably the prettiest street in all of Fort Collins)! Park your bike in Old Town and grab a bite to eat and shop at many of our famous local shops. It's easy, exhilarating, and better for the environment to tour our city on a bike, so join in on the fun!
No matter how you choose to celebrate this Earth Day in Fort Collins, get out there, be sustainable and never take our beautiful planet for granted. Explore, experience and enjoy our Mother Earth!
