With more than 500 exhibitors and two full days of programming including a notable lineup of speakers, musicians and films, Earth Day Dallas brought more than 58,000 North Texans to Fair Park on Saturday, April 21, and Sunday, April 22. In addition to the Eco Expo, Green Talk Speaker Series, Artfully Green Film Series, Earth Yoga and Live Music Series, programming included the Radio Disney AM 620 Family Zone, Home & Garden Workshop, the Truck Farm 5k Fun Run, and the Nature Conservancy’s Picnic for the Planet. For the second year in a row, EDD hosted one of the nation’s largest Earth Day celebrations, inspiring individuals to be sustainable in the ways they think, work and live.

To accommodate its growing presence, the festival moved from downtown Dallas to historic Fair Park, providing more than 600,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space. At the core of the event, the Eco Expo included a wide range of exhibitions by corporations, small businesses, nonprofits, government groups, hospitals and universities, demonstrating conservation at every level. In total, the event garnered 329 exhibitors occupying 520 booths. Education, a primary goal for 2012, had a strong presence with 70 different academic institutions represented at the event.  Additionally, the festival featured a variety of engaging entertainment for the whole family, including keynote speaker Mrs. Laura W. Bush and musical headliner Amos Lee.

Through proper recycling and waste disposal, EDD diverted 73% of waste from landfills. With help from partner Green Mountain Energy, EDD offset 342 metric tons of CO2, which is equivalent to taking 67 cars off the road or providing a year’s worth of electricity to 42 homes.

Earth Day Dallas would not have been possible without the significant support from its 2012 partners including Walmart, KXAS-NBC-5, DART, Live Nation, SHFT, 1SolTech, ISB, Crow Holdings, Disneynature and many others.

The mission of EDD is to elevate environmental awareness and influence the way North Texans think, live, and work. Thanks to the generous contributions of our partners, donors, and friends, Earth Day Dallas, Inc. will continue to provide an annual forum to unify the North Texas community under the shared goal of fostering environmental stewardship. We want to thank our supporters for being an important part of Earth Day Dallas. Your involvement in our organization is a valuable asset, and we greatly admire your dedication to the environment and North Texas. We look forward to celebrating with you in 2013!

VIEW HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2012