A little Earth Day history

In 1970, U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson organized the first Earth Day to bring national attention to conservation issues. Twenty million people joined in peaceful demonstrations - including 10,000 grade and high schools, 2,000 colleges in approximately 1,000 communities. In 1995, Nelson was awarded the nation's highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Through the 1970s, Indiana's Earth Day celebrations were held primarily at colleges. But in the late 1980s, a particularly hot summer produced serious air pollution problems, record-setting heat waves and drought with devastating fires. Soon, the nation's agricultural belt began to take a greater interest in environmental concerns.

By the 20th anniversary of Earth Day in 1990, interest in environmental issues had spread across the globe. In Indiana, volunteers organized a 20th anniversary Earth Day celebration in downtown Indianapolis. A short time later, they formed a member-based, nonprofit organization to continue the event on the state level each year.

Today, Earth Day Indiana provides a forum for environmental dialog and promotes environmental awareness. The festival has grown each year, to become what the national Earth Day Network calls one of the most successful annual Earth Day events in the country. The festival attracted an estimated 30,000 visitors in 2009 (an event record). The Earth Day Indiana Festival is the largest one-day environmental event in the state, and is the first free, outdoor festival in Indianapolis each year.

The festival features exhibits on environmental protection, conservation of natural resources and sustainable living.

Learn more about Earth Day and its history at the Earth Day Network.