Rutherford County's Earth Day Celebration returns April 20

Join Middle Tennessee Electric (MTE) on Saturday, April 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Murfreesboro’s historic downtown square for the 23rd Annual Earth Day Celebration. 

Rutherford County’s Earth Day Celebration aims to educate and mobilize the community into action with this year’s theme of “Planet vs. Plastics,” highlighting a commitment to end plastic waste and promote recycling for planetary health. 

“We look forward to bringing our community together each year to celebrate the beauty of our planet and remind everyone about the small changes they can implement to take care of it for future generations,” said Amy Byers, 2024 Earth Day Celebration committee chair and MTE’s marketing and public relations coordinator. “We hope our members will take advantage of this fun, free and educational event.”  

MTE will have booths with information about the Tree Wise program, ProSolar program, energy efficiency, member service and more, along with the EV Car Club and the EnergyHub trailer.  The vegetation management team will be giving away 500 dogwood seedlings, and MTE’s senior leadership team and board members will be present to engage with the community and answer any questions members may have.  
  
Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation and the Smyrna Outdoor Adventure Center are partnering to offer a free Kids Zone. The Kids Zone is geared for children of all ages and will feature an inflatable, yard games and hands-on activities. There will also be a scavenger hunt for all ages; everyone who completes the scavenger hunt will be entered into a drawing to win one of several great prizes.   

The entertainment lineup includes Steel De Boro at 10 a.m., Stones River Bluegrass Band at 11 a.m., QuarterLife at noon and Everybody Drum Some at 1 p.m. Attendees can enjoy complimentary refreshments and food provided by MTE and Kroger. Rutherford County: Solid Waste, Murfreesboro Water Resources, MTE and the Stones River Watershed Association will give away 500 backpack coolers available at MTE’s member services booth while supplies last. 

In addition to exploring earth-conscious booths hosted by local organizations and craft vendors with local and organic products for sale, attendees can visit the Rutherford County Library System Bookmobile as it makes its debut at the event. To learn more about participating booths, visit facebook.com/RCEarthDay. 
  
The 2024 Earth Day Celebration Poster Contest winners will be announced at 11:45 a.m., with the winning posters on display. Students were asked to design a poster demonstrating “Think Green: Planet vs. Plastics.” The contest is sponsored by Murfreesboro Water Resources, Rutherford County: Solid Waste, MaxShred, Consolidated Utility District and MTE. 
  
Rutherford County’s Earth Day Celebration is a zero-waste event and completely free, thanks to the following event sponsors: Middle Tennessee Electric, Rutherford County, the City of Murfreesboro, the Tennessee Valley Authority, MaxShred, the Davey Tree Expert Company, Clark Iron & Metal, the Stones River Watershed Association and Recyclops.  

In the event of rain, the event will be held at Sports*Com, located at 2310 Memorial Blvd. in Murfreesboro. Visit RCEarthDay.com for more information.