California will host a range of Earth Day events throughout April 2026, offering residents and visitors opportunities to participate in environmental activities across the state. These events include festivals, cleanups, educational workshops, and family-friendly entertainment.
In Napa Valley on April 18, attendees can visit the Oxbow Commons festival by bicycle and receive free bike valet service. The event features crafts, games, food, beer offerings, live music, and an earlier community cleanup project in both Napa and Yountville.
The Los Angeles Zoo will hold its “Wild for the Planet” celebration from April 17 to 19. Activities include conservation-themed events such as special animal feedings and an Earth Expo with no-waste activities. Visitors can also learn about efforts to protect endangered California condors.
National Park Week runs from April 18 to 26. While entrance fees will not be waived this year on April 22 as they have been previously, visitors are encouraged to explore California’s national parks during this period. Special events will take place at individual parks including Death Valley, Joshua Tree, and Yosemite.
San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Gardens will host a free Earth Day Festival on April 21. The event includes live performances on the Great Lawn stage as well as tree planting, chalk art, ice art at the Yerba Buena Ice Skating and Bowling Center, carousel rides, and other activities. Online reservations are requested for attendance.
On April 26 in North Lake Tahoe at Palisades Tahoe resort village, the Tahoe Truckee Earth Day Festival offers live music, a student “trashion” show featuring upcycled fashion designs, climate change exhibits, hands-on activity booths with giveaways, and education about Washoe Tribe history and culture. Free shuttles are available for sustainable travel.
Santa Rosa’s Courthouse Square hosts a zero-waste Earth Day Festival on April 26 with children’s crafts, local food vendors, multicultural entertainment including taiko drummers and Irish step dancers, honeybee workshops, composting demonstrations, and a beer garden.
San Luis Obispo’s Meadow Park is home to SLO Earth Fest on April 18. This Central Coast fair features a kids’ zone, food trucks, local art displays including an electric vehicle showcase (EV Showcase), vendor booths from environmental organizations as well as Firestone Walker Brewing Co.’s beer garden. Registration is required but entry is free.
The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach presents its Teen Climate Fest on April 25 led by its teen climate council. The event aims to educate through displays of sustainable art along with presentations focused on environmental preservation; general admission applies.
Newport Beach families can attend “Earth Day at the Bay” at Upper Newport Bay’s Peter & Mary Muth Interpretive Center on April 18 for arts and crafts activities alongside food trucks and live music at Southern California’s largest remaining estuary.
San Diego County’s Creek to Bay Cleanup returns on April 25 after removing nearly 60 thousand pounds of litter last year across multiple sites throughout the county. Volunteers must register in advance before joining efforts to remove debris ranging from cigarette butts to plastic waste.
Santa Barbara hosts one of the West Coast’s largest public Earth Day festivals from April 25–26 with over two hundred exhibitors showcasing eco-friendly products in an eco-marketplace alongside car shows featuring electric vehicles/e-bikes; topics covered include clean transportation solutions plus reduction strategies for single-use plastics.
Throughout the month there are ongoing volunteer opportunities coordinated by California State Parks Foundation Climate Action Workdays where participants can engage in trash cleanup or vegetation restoration projects statewide—examples include Old Town San Diego or China Camp State Park near San Rafael—tailored to each region’s landscape needs.
Truckee-Tahoe maintains its reputation as a sustainability-focused destination all month long by promoting sustainable gift cards along with local programs supporting environmental stewardship.
