Santa Barbara’s long running Earth Day Festival is rooted in the city’s place in history in the environmental movement.
"The concept of Earth Day began in Santa Barbara after the oil spill in 1969. One of the platforms that you can see from the beach sprung a leak and oil flooded the beaches," explained Kathi King, the festival’s co-director.
She says that while it’s only one weekend of the year, it’s a reminder to focus on the health of our planet, all year round.
"Of course, every day is Earth Day - we don't have another place to go! But the Earth Day Festival is a way to just bring the community together and hope that people do take away that we need to be appreciative of where we live on this planet every single day, and find ways that they can take action," said King.
Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival takes place this Saturday and Sunday starting at 11am in Alemeda Park.
