Celebrate the City’s 1st Annual Bike to Earth Day at Switchyard Park Event on April 22

WHAT: The City of Bloomington’s climate action platform Zero In Bloomington is teaming up with the City’s alternative transportation platform Go Bloomington to host the 1st annual Bike to Earth Day at Switchyard Park event. The day will be filled with fun activities for the whole family, including face painting, arts & crafts, food trucks, and live entertainment from the Peyton Womock Band. Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in electric vehicle (EV) demos and win giveaways, including a Little 500 bike & Trek e-bike, and meet Anthony Leal from the IU basketball team. In the case of inclement weather, vendors and activities will be consolidated into the Switchyard Park Pavilion.  

WHO: Everyone is welcome

WHEN: Saturday, April 22, from 1-5 p.m.

WHERE: Switchyard Park and Pavilion, 1601 S Rogers St.

BACKGROUND:

Zero in Bloomington

This celebration closes out the Earth Day Community Challenge inspired by Zero In Bloomington (zeroinbloomington.com), where participants could complete sustainability actions for the chance to win prizes. From using alternative transportation to eating vegan, Bloomington residents have been improving their sustainability footprint throughout April. The initiative is an important step in furthering Bloomington’s goal, as identified in the City’s Climate Action Plan (https://bton.in/d!xR8), to reach net zero emissions by 2050 in pursuit of climate resilience and sustainable leadership. 

The grand prize for the challenge, a one-night stay in the South Bend Net Zero Tiny Home, will be awarded at the Bike to Earth Day event. It’s not too late to hop in and complete the challenge yourself. For more information, contact Sustainability Program Coordinator McKaylyn Lynch at mckaylyn.lynch@bloomington.in.gov or 812-349-3418. Learn more about Zero in Bloomington at: https://bton.in/ipy-i

Go Bloomington

The event is co-sponsored by Go Bloomington, the City’s alternative transportation platform, as identified in the City’s Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan, that launched in September 2022. Go Bloomington (gobloomington.org) provides a variety of useful transportation tools. Go Bloomington’s mission is to reduce carbon emissions, decrease traffic congestion, and improve parking availability by promoting walking, biking, public transit, carpooling, vanpooling, ride-sharing, micro-mobility, and teleworking. TDM consists of programs, education, pricing, and other strategies to shift behavior using existing infrastructure and maximize traveler options. Learn more at https://bton.in/!!2dJ. Attendees who register with Go Bloomington will be entered into a drawing to win a Little 500 bike or a Trek e-bike.  

Earth Day

Earth Day began in 1970 as an attempt to bring public energy and consciousness to water and air pollution. Rachel Carsobn’s Silent Spring, published eight years earlier, had brought environmental concerns to many Americans. In 1990 Earth Day became a global event when 200 million people in 141 countries mobilized for the environment. Over the last two decades, the focus of Earth Day has come to be climate change, and the growth of the internet has allowed for greater communication and mobilization around our climate crisis.