Chattanooga Earth Week events

Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors is turning Earth Day into an eight-day public program, with Earth Week events scheduled from Friday, April 18, through Saturday, April 25. (chattanoogan.com) The city’s Earth Week page says the lineup starts April 18 with “Sherman’s Crossing: History by Kayak,” a beginner-friendly outing with Outdoor Chattanooga and National Park Partners from 8:30 a.m. to noon. On April 19, the city lists an Earth Week Family Kick-off from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Walker Pavilion. (chattanooganationalparkcity.org) Earth Day itself falls in the middle of the schedule, with two April 22 readings of *The Lorax* planned at Renaissance Park, one from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and another from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The city says the event is open to walk-ups and will be held at the park’s Inner Circle lawn area. (chattanooganationalparkcity.org) The week doubles as a civic anniversary. Chattanooga was formally recognized as North America’s first National Park City on April 3, 2025, after a peer review process coordinated by the National Park City Foundation. (nationalparkcity.org) That designation is not the same as becoming a federal national park. The National Park City label comes from an international movement that promotes access to nature, outdoor activity, stewardship, and greener urban development inside cities. (nationalparkcity.org) The foundation’s Chattanooga page says the campaign drew support from more than 5,000 residents, local businesses, community groups, and the City of Chattanooga. The same page says Chattanooga became the fourth National Park City worldwide and the first in North America. (nationalparkcity.org) The city is using Earth Week to show what that status looks like on the ground. Its event pages describe the week as a mix of community-led activities, conservation programming, and outdoor events built around the “urban wild” in Chattanooga’s parks and open spaces. (chattanooganationalparkcity.org) The closing event is set for April 25 at Greenway Farm, where Outdoor Chattanooga lists a National Park City Celebration running from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The city says the week is aimed at both regular trail users and residents looking for a first organized way into Chattanooga’s outdoor spaces. (outdoorchattanooga.com)