Earth Day Events and Activities for Families in Indianapolis

Earth Day is by far one of my favorite holidays. The Earth gives all of us so much — the sunshine, the grass beneath our toes, bubbling brooks, abundant forests, and much more! It is truly a pleasure for me to share my love for the Earth with my children. Luckily there are many ways to celebrate Mother Nature as a family in the greater Indianapolis area this April. Attend one of these fun events with your family, or spend the day at one of our beautiful parks.

A young girl with bangs and overalls grins happily while holding a cardboard box full of clean plastic bottles, ready to be recycled for Earth Day.

Earth Day Events You Don’t Want to Miss

Local festivals, programs, and recycling opportunities provide plenty of fun and education. Chances are, you’ll leave with a new-found or enhanced excitement for sustainability and protecting our beautiful planet!

Power Recycling Day

Indianapolis Zoo South Lot, 201 S Harding Street, Indianapolis, IN
April 13, 8:30 am-12:30 pm

Eliminate your old cell phones and other electronics the environmentally-friendly way. Most electronics will be accepted, including cell phones, wires, cables, all batteries, TVs, microwaves, computers, and peripherals. Basically anything with a plug! Computer hard drive memories will be securely cleared before being destroyed. All screens, monitors, and TVs will have a $20 cash-only fee — any size or type. Laptops will be recycled at no charge. Large appliances are not accepted. It’s also the first of four Celebration days where Zoo admission is $15.

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Earth Day Program at Broad Ripple Park

Broad Ripple Park, 1426 Broad Ripple Ave, Indianapolis
April 19, 6-7:30 pm

Register to participate in this fun workshop for preschoolers! Children and accompanying adults will learn about recycling at home, get creative with some recycled materials, and plant seeds together. The cost is $20 per adult/child pair. Snacks and water will be provided and additional siblings are welcome to attend for $5 per person.

Free Admission to Any National Park

Various Locations
April 20, All Ages, Free

Get free admission to any national park to kick off National Park Week. Indiana is fortunate to be the home of three national parks: Indiana Dunes National Park, George Rogers Clark National Historical Park, and Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial. Visit any of these beautiful national parks for free in honor of Earth Month.
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Earth Day Celebration at TCMI

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, 3000 N Meridian St, Indianapolis
April 20, 10 am – 5 pm

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis joins organizations around the world in celebrating Earth Day. Guests can participate in special hands-on activities. Hear from local experts to learn ways you can take action. Join the museum and local organizations as they take action locally and globally. Regular admission rates apply.

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Clean and Green Earth Day Celebration

Bundy Lodge 7024 Lucas Drive, Brownsburg
April 20, 10 am-noon

Community Trash Clean-up: Roll up your sleeves and join us in cleaning up our local environment. From parks to streets, every effort counts!

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Clean and Green Earth Day Celebration

Arbuckle Acres Park, 200 N Green Street, Brownsburg
April 20, 10 am – noon

Work alongside Brownsburg Park’s Natural Resource team to remove harmful invasive species that threaten our native ecosystems. Participants will meet with Brownsburg Park’s Natural Resource staff for an educational orientation. Will focus on eradicating invasive garlic mustard within Arbuckle Acres Park.

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Earth Day Open House

Cool Creek Nature Center 2000-1 E 151st Street, Carmel
April 20, 10 am – 2 pm

Visit the nature center for an open-house style celebration of our wonderful planet! Earth Day and Arbor Day crafts will be available, various native trees in bareroot seedling form will be available for FREE, milkweed seed packets will be available, native trees and shrubs will be for sale in the greenhouse, and several fun hikes will be offered.

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Earth Day Recycled Art

Taylor Center of Natural History 12308 Strawtown Ave.
Noblesville
April 20, 1 pm – 3 pm

Celebrate Earth Day by making recycled art with Hamilton County Parks. Please save and bring empty egg cartons, plastic grocery bags, and metal bottle caps. Let’s see if you can make something beautiful from your “trash.”

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A child's hands pats the soil around a freshly planted tree sapling for Earth Day.

Greenfest

Zionsville Town Hall, 1100 W Oak Street, Zionsville
April 27, 9 am – 12 pm

In celebration of Earth Day and Arbor Day, this event connects participants with the resources to become good stewards of the environment. Learn about living sustainably while having fun! Students ages 5-18 can submit projects made of at least 50% recycled materials to the Student Recycled Art Contest. Be sure to drop off submissions at Town Hall or the Zionsville Nature Center by April 20.

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Indy Creation Fest

Grace Church, 5504 E 146th St, Noblesville
April 27, 10 am-2 pm, All ages, FREE

Come out for the annual Indy Creation Fest, an open-house-style celebration of love for God and neighbors by joyfully caring for creation! Learn about local sustainable businesses, sample sustainable cooking, enjoy free giveaways, and play games for all ages. No registration is needed.

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Earth Day at the JCC Indianapolis

6701 Hoover Road, Indianapolis
May 19, 1-4 pm, All ages, FREE

Earth Day at the JCC returns with dozens of hands-on, environmentally-friendly activities by 50+ exhibitors. Stay for the afternoon with music, entertainment, a farmer’s market, and food trucks. Arts with a Purpose plans to provide children’s activities. Rain or shine; pets on leashes are welcome.

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Earth Day Indiana Festival at Garfield Park

2345 Pagoda Drive, in Indianapolis
June 1, 11 am-5 pm, All Ages, FREE

Join over 110 organizations with workshops, live music, food vendors, and a beer garden for a full day of fun.

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A group of children sort recyclable materials into blue bins with green recycling arrow symbols for Earth Day.

Earth Day Events We Hope to See Return

Earth Day Celebration at Cool Creek

Cool Creek Nature Center, 2000 East 151st Street, Carmel

As you celebrate Earth Day, we hope you will include a visit to the nature center for an open-house style celebration of our wonderful planet! Earth Day and Arbor Day crafts will be available throughout the end of April, various native trees in bareroot seedling form will be available for FREE, milkweed seed packets will be available, native trees and shrubs will be for sale in the greenhouse, and several fun hikes will be offered. While you are here, we hope you will enjoy our exhibits which can provide ideas on ways you can make your yard more nature friendly.

Earth Day at Indiana State University

200 North Seventh Street, Terre Haute

What began as a lecture series has expanded to a day long celebration open to the community, full of abundant activities and hands on workshops. The event focuses on sustainability and its importance in ensuring a bright and healthy future for all. 2023 info will be announced soon.

Paint & Sip: Earth Day Celebration

SoChatti, 1125 E Brookside Ave #D2, Indianapolis

Celebrate Earth Day with a special paint and sip experience at SoChatti! Multimedia artist, Derek Tudor, will guide you through painting a gorgeous, Earth Day centric photo. You will also take your tastebuds on a trip around the world with a flight of our artisanal chocolate that includes our newest origin, Vietnam!

A portion of each ticket will go towards a donation to Keep Indianapolis Beautiful to continue creating green spaces across Indianapolis.

Earth Day Yoga

2505 Conservatory Dr Indianapolis

Join us at Garfield Park Conservatory for a light Yoga class outdoors! Bring a sack lunch and we’ll enjoy the grounds even more after class together. Please register in advance.

Creeks and Critters

Cool Creek Nature Center, 2000 East 151st Street, Carmel

71% of the Earth is covered in water – so let’s celebrate water on Earth Day! Come explore Cool Creek Park’s name sake and learn about our creek’s wildlife and protecting water ways. Plan to get your feet wet!

Earth Day Celebration

Mud Creek Conservancy 8605 Sargent Rd. Indianapolis

You’re invited to join us for the Earth Day Celebration on April 22nd! It’s going to be a blast – we’ve got live music, fire dancers, and plenty of delicious food for everyone to enjoy. Come on down and celebrate with us! Bring your friends, family, and a healthy dose of enthusiasm for the planet we call home. Let’s show our support for the Mud Creek Conservancy and the important work they do to protect our environment.

Earth Day at Pecar Nature Center

5203 E County Rd 150 N Avon

Join Renee, our Park Naturalist, to learn about the importance of Earth Day. We’ll be doing a fun Earth Day craft and an optional hike at Pock Woods depending on the weather. $4.00/person
A boy tends to sprouting plants in terra cotta pots for Earth Day.

Dr. Seuss’ “The Lorax” Reading

Cool Creek Nature Center, 2000 East 151st Street, Carmel

Arbor Day wouldn’t be complete without a reading of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax! Kids and kids at heart will enjoy this classic story and learn how the Lorax continues to teach others how to “speak for the trees.” We will meet inside the nature center for this story reading.

Earth Day Wildflower Hike

Cool Creek Nature Center, 2000 East 151st Street, Carmel

Let’s look around Cool Creek Park for our spring-blooming wildflowers! We will be sharing fun facts and identification tips will be shared about these fleeting flowers! Pre-registration: Required. Register online.

Earth Day Sculpture Project

250 North 5th Street, Zionsville

Join Crystal and help make a recycled art sculpture out of cardboard egg cartons.  Help create a work of art to be hung in the library while learning how to use recycled materials for art installations. Help shape, paint, and construct the next great masterpiece.  This is a drop-in event you may stay the whole time or just for 15 mins.

Earth Day Electronics Recycling Special Event

Riverside Park, 2420 E Riverside Dr. Indianapolis

The Indianapolis Office of Sustainability, the Department of Public Works, & RecycleForce are hosting another electronics recycling event! Celebrate Earth Day the eco-friendly way! Marion County residents are encouraged to drop off unused, outdated, and/or broken electronics so that they may be properly recycled. It is ILLEGAL in Indiana to dispose of electronics in your household trash. On-site staff will direct traffic. Attendees should remain in their cars. There is NO COST for dropping off materials. Non-electronic materials will NOT be accepted during this event.

We hope you are looking forward to celebrating our beautiful Earth this April with your family!

Celebrate spring with a round of disc golf at one of our favorite spots in Indy.

Let your kids learn more about the world around them at these Indiana children’s museums.

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