Earth Day and All Things Green in Staunton

Spring is a time to enjoy warm weather, reflect on the impact we have on our planet, and learn how to take good care of our Earth. As we become more aware of the environmental challenges we face, it’s important to work toward a sustainable future. Below, read about Staunton’s annual Earth Day and other events as well as several local businesses and organizations that make it their business to preserve and beautify our planet.

Celebrate this Earth

Earth Day at Gypsy Hill Park Bandstand

Each year, Staunton holds a large, family-friendly educational fair for Earth Day in Gypsy Hill Park. The 2025 Staunton’s Earth Day Celebration’s theme is “We’ve Got the Power to Protect the Planet,” and visitors will learn all about renewable energy as well as other environmental topics. 

Earth Day events help us learn to appreciate and preserve our planet by promoting clean air, land, and water, and supporting native species. The schedule includes presentations by the Virginia Wildlife Center staff and educational animals, which are native species like owls and opossums that can’t return to life in the wild. Visitors can also see exhibits on various topics including stream life, electric cars, beehives, bats, native plants, and more. Most exhibits will have demonstrations, games, or crafts, and other interactive-learning activities. Check out booths by more than two dozen local environmental organizations including, ​​Augusta County Bird Club, Virginia Dept. of Wildlife Resources, Allegheny Mountain Institute, Tiger Solar, and more. The Earth Day event will feature food trucks. (April 26th, 11 am – 3 pm)

Fiber Festival at the Frontier Culture Museum

Learn about the importance of natural fibers and how people from the past processed them at The Frontier Culture Museum’s annual Fiber Festival. This family-friendly pay-what-you-will donation day will feature vendors, demonstrations by fiber artists, and sheep shearing and sheep herding exhibitions. (April 5th, 9 am – 5 pm)

Waynesboro Riverfest in Constitution Park

Like Earth Day, Waynesboro’s annual Riverfest “promot[es] environmental conservation and watershed stewardship in the Shenandoah River Basin.” This free event teaches families about river ecology and other environmental topics through environmentally-themed exhibits, activities, and games. Ride in a canoe, race a rubber ducky, learn to fish, take a “stream safari,” and watch demonstrations by Reptile World and the Wildlife Center of Virginia. (May 3rd, 10 am – 4:30 pm)

Eat Green

• The Staunton Farmers’ Market opens for the season this weekend! Shoppers will find the freshest possible fruits and vegetables, baked goods, meats, cheeses, and more from producers they trust. Connect with your community and support local agriculture and sustainable farming practices. The market accepts SNAP-EBT and Senior and WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program checks. (7 am – noon, April – November)

• Jones Garden is a community garden dedicated to healthy eating, affordable and sustainable food, and “beautifying areas of the community by creating inviting community green spaces that encourage community pride and enjoyment of nature.” Everyone is welcome to spend time in the garden, and if you volunteer, you get free produce. Visitors can also purchase produce on market days. Check the schedule for this year’s Garden Lab Series as well as other educational, volunteer, and tasting events.
• Grab a delicious and nutritious green smoothie at family-owned Treehouse Juice Bar, which also serves handcrafted juices, açaí bowls, and wellness shots. 
• Cranberry’s Grocery and Eatery stocks organic and local foods, homeopathic remedies, herbs, vitamins and body care products. They also serve juice shots and a tasty menu of healthy smoothies crafted for wellness, energy, nutrition, or digestion.

• Stable Craft Brewing is a farm brewery that uses sustainable farming practices like solar energy and using ingredients grown on the property or nearby to produce delicious craft beer. The brewery also composts and uses regenerative agriculture practices to improve soil health.

Think Green

• Shenandoah Green works to “create an environmentally sustainable community through education and advocacy.” Their Go Green Bank loans out reusable tableware and party supplies to the community, and the Legacy Tree Project planted a tree for every student in the city school system. Shenandoah Green also offers guidance and resources for citizens who wish to compost.
• Are you a budding naturalist? Register to attend a free, family-friendly Nature Walk with Sancta Natura in Betsy Bell Park. Your guide will point out notable butterflies, birds, and plants native to mountainous parts in Virginia. (May 3) 
• Project Grows is a non-profit organization that educates the community about healthy food production and eating habits. Employing organic farming practices like composting and limiting harmful chemicals, they produce over 200,000 servings of food each year. They also reduce food waste through redistribution and education and provide hand-on learning opportunities for the area’s youth.

• The Shenandoah Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society supports appreciation and conservation with guided nature walks, environmental programs, and native plant sales.

Shop Green

• Show your support for team Earth and all the plants that live here by shopping for plants, plant-care products, and plant-themed decor items at Burrow & Vine. The store also sells local artisan creations and offers classes for creative learning and community connection.

• You can also purchase houseplants and their accessories, natural candles, home, kitchen, and bath products, and other gifts for botanical enthusiasts at Lichen or Knot Plant Company. 

• Refill Renew invites you to shop sustainably by bringing your own containers to fill with low-waste cleaning and personal products. Shop cleaners and detergents, hair and body products that are free of sulfates, parabens, plastic, artificial scents and colors. You’ll also find  local apple cider vinegar and reusable lifestyle goods like stainless steel utensils and straws, mesh product bags, beeswax wraps, biodegradable trash bags, and more. 
• Upgrade your landscaping in an environmentally responsible manner with locally grown and native plants from Staunton Plant Co. Native plants are important because they have adapted to their native conditions and generally don’t require as much fertilizer or pesticides as other species. They also shelter and feed local species of birds, mammals, and insects like butterflies. 
• Staunton’s Art Hive provides classes, studio and exhibition space, and a community for local artists. They also sell an ever-changing inventory of unique and affordable reuse materials to inspire your next creative project.

• You probably know Habitat for Humanity for its work to eliminate poverty housing, but did you know that the Habitat for Humanity Restore is a great source for affordably-priced appliances, building materials, tools, second-hand furniture, and more?
• Juniper Lane helps you reduce your carbon footprint by selling unique pieces that are easy to repurpose and style in fun and trendy ways. Juniper Lane offers a unique selection of vintage wedding gowns from all eras.
• Buying household goods secondhand makes your home unique and keeps items out of the landfills. Check out our Guide to Antique Shopping in Downtown Staunton. 

We hope this guide to all things green in Staunton will help you appreciate the planet this spring. Connect with Earth today!