Leaders from the City of Milwaukee will share a bicycle-powered stage with leaders from Milwaukee-based nonprofit Rock the Green on Wednesday to tout the city’s green progress and celebrate Earth Day.
The city-wide celebration, in its fourth year, will feature remarks from Mayor Tom Barret and Matt Howard, director of the Office of Environmental Sustainability, as well as Lindsay Stevens Gardner, founder of Rock the Green. Along with educating the public about best practices in sustainability, the organization holds large-scale music festivals that generate near-zero waste.
Together, speakers will hit on highlights from the city’s sustainability initiatives and ReFresh Milwaukee, a 10-year sustainability plan preparing Milwaukee to be a thought leader in sustainability.
“Rock the Green’s mission and the city’s ReFresh Milwaukee sustainability plan are natural partners in educating our residents and improving our neighborhoods,” Barrett said in a press release. “There’s no better time to strive toward better resource management and recovery than Earth Day.”
Milwaukee’s Earth Day celebration will also be outfitted with several eco-friendly elements. The bicycle-powered stage from Power by the People will run off energy generated by the Black Girls Do Bike cycling team and the City Haulers & Friends team. As they pedal, Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz band De La Buena will perform live.
In addition to the stage, the event will feature water reclamation stations provided by Waste Management, compostable Rock the Green napkins and serving utensils provided by Patra Eco-Dinnerware, and eco-educational booths manned by a host of sustainability organizations.
During the celebration, attendees will also be able to enjoy local and sustainable menu items from Simmer, YellowBellies, Urban Kettle, The Fast Foodie, Hardwood Café, and Gouda Girls.
Milwaukee’s Earth Day celebration will run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the CityCenter, which has received several energy designations. While event organizers plan to hold festivities outdoors, inclement weather will move the event into the lobby of the CityCenter, 735 N. Water St.
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/RocktheGreen.
