Community Organizations Team Up to Celebrate Earth Day at HVSF

In celebration of Earth Day, several local organizations have partnered to host a day-long lineup of community events on Saturday, April 22. Hosted by the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival (HVSF) at The Garrison, the Philipstown Earth Day Fair will feature the Cold Spring Farmers’ Market, guided hikes, lantern-making workshops, discussions, and the second annual Highland Lights procession, amongst other offerings.

“The Cold Spring Farmers’ Market is thrilled to be a part of this event,” said Shawna Chandler, market manager. “All of our most beloved vendors will be in attendance, as well as a few exciting additions. It is a wonderful opportunity for weekly shopping and a picnic with the most spectacular view.”

The Earth Day celebration will kick off at 10 a.m. with the opening of the Cold Spring Farmers’ Market, featuring dozens of local vendors and agricultural goods, as well as Earth Day-themed tables and booths. For those looking to immerse themselves in nature, the Philipstown Trails Committee will host a morning hike through the Garrison grounds, while the Hudson Highlands Land Trust will host a Family Night Hike later in the evening. For those seeking a sensory-friendly experience, the Yellow Finch Project will be leading lantern making workshops, thoughtfully designed to accommodate sensory sensitivities by making adjustments to the environment, materials, and instructions. An exciting conversation and book signing event featuring two renowned chefs, Peter Hoffman and Mark Bittman, will be hosted on the Terrace at 12:00pm. Hoffman, the author of What's Good?: A Memoir in Fourteen Ingredients, will be in discussion with Bittman, a leading expert on plant-based eating, and whose latest book is Animal, Vegetable, Junk: A History of Food.

Climate Smart Philipstown and Ecological Citizen’s Project will also be on site, encouraging participation in the Philipstown Fights Dirty campaign and educating about the ways the community can work to reduce its carbon footprint and help others take climate action. Guests are encouraged to make a stop at the Repair Café, where they can bring broken items to be fixed, saving them from ending up in landfills. There will also be other Philipstown and Putnam County organizations onsite to promote local, earth-friendly activities.

"Earth Day is about action. In addition to joining in this year's events, we encourage everyone to do these three things: donate to the Philipstown Climate Fund, sign up for the Philipstown Food Scraps Recycling Program, and ledge to take action at philipstownfightsdirty.org," said Jocelyn Apicello, co-director of the Ecological Citizen's Project.

The day will conclude with the second annual Highland Lights, a celebration of art and nature that invites neighbors to create collaborative works during free public workshops and culminates in a spectacular outdoor procession of lights and lanterns through the property. A result of the partnership between the Processional Arts Workshop and HVSF, the procession of lights and community-built lanterns will begin at 7:30 p.m. This year’s theme, Ad Astra, is inspired by the constellations in the night sky and the enduring hope and imagination they ignite.

“We are always looking for ways to connect with other organizations in our community, specifically as it pertains to environmental conservation,” said Kendra Ekelund, managing director at HVSF. Davis McCallum, artistic director of HVSF, added, “Events like this encourage co-creation, as well as an opportunity to amplify our community’s shared advocacy for the environment, not just on Earth Day, but every day.”