By Ava Cunningham
What’s not to love about the Whole Earth Festival? There’s live music, and you can buy anything from pottery to colorful tie-dyed clothes to beaded jewelry. And the best part, it’s all done with zero waste. You can get henna tattoos, eat all sorts of food, or join in a hoola hooping contest.
Though some people may call it a hippie festival, it’s really just a celebration of the Earth, community, and art. The festival started as a small project by some students in 1969 called “Art Happening” where they showed fun and creative ways of activism and environmental sustainability. In 1970, the United Nations recognized the celebration of Earth Day and so they renamed the event to the “Whole Earth Festival”. It is now a fully student run event with over 30,000 people coming every year.
Another great thing about it is that it takes place on Mother’s Day weekend. If you are looking for a gift for your mom, the Whole Earth Festival is the place to go. You can get all sorts of cute stuff. A personalized piece of jewelry, a glass bird feeder, a small sculpture for the front yard, and much more.
Sadly, due to COVID-19, the Whole Earth Festival is cancelled this year but they are going to do a virtual event on Saturday, May 9th. Here is the website for you to check it out: https://wef.ucdavis.edu/
