Head over to Hermann Square for what promises to be one of the largest Earth Day events in the city’s history. In front of City Hall find hands-on activities, displays, food, music, and interactive booths showcasing city initiatives that are paving the way toward a cleaner, greener Houston. The festivities will include demonstrations on recycling advances, air quality enhancements, tree giveaways, microgrid technology, student art contests, the benefits of a tiny house, wastewater purification, electric vehicles, solar solutions, and more.

This year’s Green Mountain Energy Earth Day theme is water, with the Water Works Festival bringing interactive exhibits to Discovery Green to educate families about the importance of protecting this most vital of natural resources. Expect family-friendly performances, live music, art installations, face painting, crafts, and activities. There will also be educational talks, panel discussions, spoken-word performances, and more. Per the theme, this is a zero-waste event, so plan on bringing your own refillable water bottles and utensils. 

At the arboretum, located within the western portion of Memorial Park, the theme for Earth Day is Earth Heroes. Visit for free family fun and meet some real local superheroes: wildland firefighters, park rangers, wildlife rehabilitators, and other conservation professionals. Enjoy interactive booths, nature hikes, and fun displays in the Discovery Room, and learn how to be a hero of your own for the planet. This is a rain or shine event, so dress appropriately for the weather. Crafts will also be available for kids while supplies last.

Head over to Memorial Park’s Eastern Glades and join the Park Conservancy for an evening filled with educational activities for kids, assorted food trucks, and a children’s story time. Once the sun sets, enjoy a screening of the nature documentary Deep in the Heart, narrated by Matthew McConaughey, which focuses on the incredible nature found throughout the state of Texas. Memorial Park’s staff and volunteers are committed to preserving and protecting the natural environment by maintaining the park’s biodiversity, reducing waste, and promoting sustainable practices.

Give a plant, take a plant at Urban Harvest's plant swap. Bring in a plant and exchange it for something you want. Register in advance to let them know what you'll be bringing to the swap. Tools, pots, and soil are also acceptable to exchange.

No one does space like Space City, so get a big-picture look at our world during Space Center Houston’s two-day Planet Earth Celebration. The event features activities like a wildlife refuge tram tour, pop-up science labs and talks, educational booths, guest speakers, an atmospheric balloon launch, and more. Plus, did you know that the Space Center can recycle your e-waste? Bring your old computers, printers, tablets, phones, and other electronics to be recycled by TechnoCycle.

Every day is Earth Day at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. This year HMNS celebrates the planet all April long with special exhibits, tours, and activities that raise awareness about the issues affecting the environment and the solutions to protect it. There are composting workshops, a Hermann Park scavenger hunt, the Crockwell Butterfly Center, and lectures on everything from urban gardening and native plant preservation to insect pinning and building a pollinator garden.