The Haymaker farmers’ market and research showcase are at the forefront of the Office of Sustainability’s Earth Fest on April 23.
Earth Fest will see over 30 clubs and organizations celebrate Earth Day on campus on the 23, as well as the events leading up during the month, including some that have already passed.
These events include:
April 11 – Rain Barrel Painting Project
April 11 – Ultimate Thrift Swap
April 16 – Wellness Wednesday – Environmental Wellness/Sustainability (Farmers’ Market)
April 21 – 26 – Flashes Give Back Week
April 21 – 26 – Kent State Annual Fashion Week
April 21 – August 21 – “Field of Dreams” Exhibit by Laure Nolte
April 23 – Earth Fest
April 23 – Kent State Haymaker Farmers’ Market
April 23 – Environmental Science and Design Research Institute Research Showcase
April 23 – Activist-in-Residence
April 24 – Fix-It Kent
April 24 – Activist-in-Residence
April 26 – Flashes Give Back Day of Service: Kent Campus Tree Planting
April 26 – Earth Day Environmental Justice Conference 2025 at KSU East Liverpool
April 26 – Wetlands Wonders: A Walk & Talk and Screening Experience at KSU Stark
A full list of the Earth Month festivities and Earth Fest organizations is available online.
Perhaps most notably, the Earth Month Planning Committee has partnered with the Haymaker Farmers Market and Environmental Science and Design Research Institute.
“The Haymaker Farmers Market and the Kent State of Well-being work together to bring the farmers market to campus,” said chair of the EMPC Leah Graham. “We wanted to amplify both events by having it at the same day and same time.”
Both Kent Stark and Kent East Liverpool are hosting events as well, such as the Wetland Wonder Walk and Talk screening at Stark and the Earth Day Environmental Justice Conference at East Liverpool.
“I know that [when] people on campus think about Earth Month they think about Kent Campus,” senior Angel Guinn, a member of the EMPC, said. “Our regional campuses actually do quite a bit too.”
Graham also pointed to Fix-it Kent as a go-to activity. The event allows people to bring items that may be broken or in disrepair, and they can learn how to fix those items. These items include but are not limited to electronics, sewing and bike repairs.
“[There is] a lot of different stuff,” Guinn said. “[We are] just trying to make sure people are valuing their items … by keeping them and repairing them instead of discarding them.”
Some other events during Earth Month include the Ultimate Thrift Swap. The Swap will allow students to thrift and repurpose items to limit clothing and other items finding their way into landfills.
Those interested can also join Activist In-Residence Jose Salinas as he speaks on environmentalism through the lens of farm work during the ESDRI research showcase April 23.
First observed on April 22, 1970, Earth Day has marked the birth of the modern of the modern environmental movement for 55 years. Rachel Carson’s book “Silent Spring” alerted the public to the dangers in their environments and helped spark the movement today known as Earth Day.
Inspired by the ravaging oil spill in Santa Barbara, California, Sen. Gaylord Nelson and environmentalist Denis Hayes spearheaded the campaign that would later be coined Earth Day.
Keegan Berzonski is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].