Earth Day 2024 NYC: Enjoy the weather at these celebrations

Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News
·2 min read

Clear skies and cool temperatures will accompany Earth Day 2024 in New York City.

New Yorkers can expect a high near 60 degrees while celebrating the planet with free events that include collage making in Chelsea, a native plant planting party for Staten Islanders and a beach bash in Queens.

The free events are sponsored by the city’s Department of Parks & Recreation.

Earth Day Collaging takes place at Chelsea Recreation at 430 W. 25th Street starting at 5:30 p.m. The “environmental day of artistic exploration” invites eco enthusiasts to help create a collage of the earth from upcycled mixed materials.

New Yorkers looking to get their hands dirty can head to Staten Island’s Kids Week: Earth Day Native Planting at the Blue Heron Nature Center. The day will be highlighted by a guided nature hike focusing on plants and pollination.

“Don’t forget to take home your planted seed to start your own native plant garden,” organizers advise on the event homepage.

New Yorkers who prefer sand to dirt can celebrate Earth Day in Queens. Animals, plants, games, arts and crafts highlight the festivities at Shorefront Parkway and Beach 73rd Street, which start at noon and end at 3 p.m.

Earth Day began in 1970 and has since grown annually in New York City with events citywide. The event was first celebrated 54 years ago Monday when 100,000 New Yorkers gathered in and around Union Square Park for the largest nationwide gathering of its kind, according to the Museum of the City of New York.

The event’s 2024 theme is “Planet vs. Plastics.” Organizers hope for 60% reduction in the production of plastics by 2040.

Those who can’t take time out to celebrate Monday are welcomed to join environmentalists at Alfred E. Smith Playground for a three-hour cleanup starting Tuesday at 2 p.m.

“Our Earth Day Event will be a day filled with cleaning our field, planting new plants and meeting new people for our neighborhood,” according to the New York City Department of Parks & Recreations, which is also organizing that event.