Everything you missed at the Earth Day Street Fest in San Francisco

Nothing screams ‘San Francisco’ quite like it

Nestled in the Mission District on 22nd street in San Francisco, the Earth Day Street Fest was a unique collaboration of artists, recycled jewelry vendors, activists, companies, and food companies.

My friends and I gorged ourselves on the assortment of environmentally-friendly health foods: organic tortilla chips, acai bowls, and traditional drinking chocolate.

There was even a fashion show, featuring clothes made from recycled or sustainable materials.

A cute chalk art drawing at the entrance of the fair

I couldn’t have asked for better weather- or a better way to spend my Saturday!

Organic drinking chocolate- very different from hot chocolate

Several local activists joined the event, promoting a range of issues

There was an incredible array of vendors, volunteers, and participants who came to support the event and show their love for the earth.

Take sisters Elizabeth and Anna, for example.

The sisters painted this at a Slightly Stoopid concert at the Greek Theater. Check out more of their art on their Instagram: @havenart_live

Their mother, a second generation artist, taught them to paint when they were little. Then, they began painting in their local church. Now, the sisters travel to various concerts and festivals, such as California Roots, and paint live to the music. Each of their paintings is a representation of the emotions and feeling presented by the music. They love events like the Earth Day Street Fair; they get to combine their unique way of painting with supporting environmental activism.

They advocate for public awareness, getting artists out into the community, and encouraging people to find feeling through art.

Their mother, a second generation artist

Others got involved through volunteering. Christine Nguyen is an Environmental Science graduate from UCI who recently moved to San Francisco. She volunteers because she wants to get involved in the community and give back to San Francisco. For Christine, events like this are great because sponsors can educate the public about environmental issues; issues that she spent her undergraduate education studying.

Pauline, the volunteer coordinator for the Earth Day Street Fest, is an environmental activist from Sweden who is only here for a few months. She has volunteered and worked at many environmental events before and her passion lies in fighting for environmental justice. According to Pauline, environmental discussions here are more geared towards the drought and water usage, whereas in Sweden, the focus is more on the climate effects of diet.

Pauline (left) and Christine (right)

The range of participants, from solar panel companies to marijuana legalization activists, is what made this event so fun, unique, and successful. It was a truly collaborative event, with all sorts of appealing products, people, and platforms to bring everyone from the mildly to incredibly environmentally conscious to the event.

If you and your friends want something cool to do next Earth Day, I would definitely recommend going to the Earth Day Street Fest! It is a great way to experience the San Francisco community and see the forces of activists, artists, and vendors joined in supporting environmental awareness.

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