April 22 is Earth Day, an international effort founded in 1970 by Wisconsin senator Gaylord Nelson and coordinated by the nonprofit Earth Day Network (earthday.net). It’s also the birthday of Julius Sterling Morton, founder of Arbor Day, celebrated this year on April 27. The city has expanded its annual festivities to what’s called Earth Month (April 17 through May 20), the highlight of which is Green Festival, a sprawling weekend convention of lectures, vendors, and activities. All events are free unless otherwise noted. See related listings in Movies and Readings & Lectures. For a free archive of the Reader’s features on green topics, see chicagoreader.com/greenchicago. –Ryan Hubbard
CAF Lunchtime Lecture “Sustainability and the Kohl Children’s Museum,” by Booth Hansen architect David J. Mann. a 12:15 PM, Chicago Architecture Foundation, 224 S. Michigan, 312-922-3432.
Green Festival Billed as a “party with a purpose,” this giant annual event is being held in Chicago for the first time. It offers more than 100 speakers and an expo of 350 green businesses, plus organic food and beverage vendors and workshops on fair trade, eco-friendly construction, and green careers. There’s also live music, a film festival (see Movies), a “Movement Room” with yoga sessions, and a “Kids’ Zone” with hands-on activities. Author, activist, and farmer Howard Lyman kicks off the speaker series at 11 AM with “Inventory of Planet Earth”; other speakers today include investigative journalist Greg Palast, Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman, and populist radio commentator Jim High-tower. At 2 PM three panelists, including the city’s environment commissioner, will discuss “Chicago’s Journey to Become the Greenest City in the Nation.” Other lecture and panel topics include “How to Make Chicago Sweatshop Free,” “Solar Energy 101,” “Drink Beer and Save the World,” and “Sustainable Food and Food Systems.” a 10 AM-8 PM, McCormick Place, 2301 S. Lake Shore Dr., 312-791-7000, greenfestivals.org, $5-$10 (daily admission), $14-$19 (weekend passes), children 12 and under free.
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Get Trashed on Earth Day Fifty percent of the proceeds from sales of Earth Day-themed cocktails will go to Keep Chicago Beautiful; DJ Johnny Price spins hip-hop and dance. a 7 PM-4 AM, the Leg Room, 7 W. Division, 312-337-2583.
Hubbard Street Mural Project Ricardo Alonzo, one of the project’s founding artists, returns to Chicago after 35 years to repaint the mural panel titled “Picasso’s Girlfriend.” The public’s invited to watch. a 10 AM-4 PM, 1000 W. Hubbard (between Morgan and Sangamon), hubbardstreetmurals.org.
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