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EarthFest 2019
Saturday, April 13, 2019
COVID-19 Update: The Museum is closed to maintain health and safety. Read more.
Saturday, April 13, 2019
From early-morning yoga to special performances, visitors will be immersed in art, science, and culture at this festival honoring Earth Day. Participate in hands-on activities, join special music guest stars on our Main Stage, and celebrate the beautiful planet we call home.
EarthFest is free for Members or with Museum admission. General admission includes access to all 45 halls and the Rose Center for Earth and Space but does not include special exhibitions, giant-screen film, or Space Show. Pay-what-you-wish admission is available only at ticket counters, where the amount you pay is up to you.
All activities and performances are subject to limited capacity.
Pathway to Paris in Concert—1 pm, 2 pm, 3 pm, and 4 pm
Irma and Paul Milstein Family Hall of Ocean Life
Join us for this rolling concert featuring Pathway to Paris, with performances by Patti Smith, Patrick Watson, Michael Stipe, Jesse Paris Smith, Rebecca Foon, Harlem Gospel Choir and Pablo Sainz Villegas, and a special interactive moment with Little Sun by Olafur Eliasson. Pathway to Paris is an organization dedicated to turning the Paris Agreement into reality through innovative and ambitious solutions for combating global climate change.
Concerts are all first-come, first-served, with tickets to each performance available free of charge at the entrance to the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life on the day of the event.
Daybreaker: Party Animals—6 am Yoga or The Class by Taryn Toomey | Dance Party 7–9 am
Akeley Hall of African Mammals, Hall of Birds of the World, Wallach Orientation Center
Answer the call of the wild with this early-morning sunrise workout session and dance party. Kick off the morning with the workout your choice: yoga, acro yoga (both by Modo Yoga), or join The Class by Taryn Toomey (taught by Taryn herself!), a music-driven practice of self-study through physical conditioning. The workout sessions will be followed by a DJ-led dance party in the Wallach Orientation Center under the iconic Titanosaur. Visitors are encouraged to wear something animal-inspired—panda onesies, cat ears, and bunny tails are welcome.
Yoga and The Class are now sold out.
Limited availability. RSVP to Daybreaker includes general admission to the Museum.
Party Like Brooklyn, Baby—10 am–1 pm
Bernard Hall of North American Mammals
Bring your best moves to this dance party for all ages, and celebrate what makes Earth the best place in the universe to boogie down. Hosted by Mr. Marc and DJ Mikey Palms.
Chicago City Limits—10 am, 11 am, and Noon
David S. and Ruth L. Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth
What’s funny about climate change? Nothing—but don’t tell that to this improv comedy troupe, who will use the theme of climate change and the unique setting of the Museum to conjure up some apocalyptic hilarity.
The Sound of Science, by Jeffrey Zeigler—1 pm, 2 pm, and 3 pm
David S. and Ruth L. Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth
The Sound of Science is eight pieces of music written by composers from around the world, who paired with scientists of their own choosing to create music inspired by and reflective of each person’s research. Each piece, written for amplified cello and electronics, will be performed by Jeffrey Zeigler, a long-time member of Kronos Quartet and cellist for John Zorn, Philip Glass, Laurie Anderson, and many more.
Melvis Santa—4 pm and 5 pm
David S. and Ruth L. Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth
Grammy-nominated singer, composer, and bandleader Melvis Santa explores Orisha songs and rhythms from Afro-Cuban cultural traditions. Join in to learn and sing songs inspired by the natural elements.
Science Stations—11 am–4 pm
Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall
Check out ice shelves in Antarctica, discover deep-sea fossils, explore the Earth’s mantle layers, and analyze the changing sea levels with hands-on activities for all ages, presented in collaboration with Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.
Bash the Trash Workshops—11:30 am and 1:30 pm
Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall
Build musical instruments from recycled and reused materials with Bash the Trash, experts in showing how science can transform even the simplest stuff into works of art. Participants will be invited to march in a parade with their new instruments later in the day.
Interactive Carts—11 am–4 pm
Grand Gallery
How do snakes see in the dark? What ocean animals produce more than 50 percent of the oxygen we breathe? Come explore these topics and more at interactive carts led by high school students in the Saltz Internship Program at the Museum.
Drop-In Session—Noon–5 pm
Hall of Human Origins
Stop by the education lab to explore specimens and activities to learn about biodiversity and conservation issues facing our closest evolutionary relatives, the primates.
Support for EarthFest 2019 is provided, in part, by the May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation, Inc. and the family of Frederick H. Leonhardt.