Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Earth Day Event topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Earth Day at Holbrook Palmer Park drew about 150–175; town doubled event budget to $10,000
Summary
Town staff and the Environmental Programs Committee reviewed the April 27 Earth Day event at Holbrook Palmer Park, reporting roughly 150–175 attendees, volunteer-run bike valet, a focus on vegetarian vendors and children’s exhibits, and a council increase in the event budget from $5,000 to $10,000.
Town staff and the Atherton Environmental Programs Committee (EPC) reviewed the town’s Earth Day event, held Sunday, April 27, at Holbrook Palmer Park, saying staff estimates attendance at roughly 150 to 175 people and noting the Town Council increased the event budget to $10,000 this year.
The staff report said the event ran roughly 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and included exhibitors from local groups and city departments, demonstrations such as a reptile show and a falconry display, food trucks limited to vegetarian/vegan options in recent years, and a bike valet run by local Boy Scout and Girl Scout volunteers. “I would estimate that we had around a 150 to a 175 people come to the park,” the staff presenter said during the committee meeting.
The nut graf: the committee and staff framed Earth Day as community outreach tied to the town’s climate goals, and this year’s planning followed a council decision to move the event logistics from the EPC to staff. Committee members and staff agreed to fold lessons learned into next year’s planning to increase appeal for families and broaden vendor food choices.
Committee discussion and details - Attendance and timing: Staff estimated 150–175 visitors during the 11 a.m.–3:30 p.m. window; members attributed lower turnout to overcast weather and the event’s placement on a Sunday. The staff presenter said turnout was “a little lower this year because of the weather.” - Budget: The committee heard that the council increased the event allocation from $5,000 in prior years to $10,000 for this year to account for rising costs. The staff presenter called out that council’s budget increase when summarizing the event. - Programming and vendors: The event included a traveling reptile show, a “Beetle Lady” insect display, a West Coast Falconry demonstration, a DIY table from the Atherton Library and local exhibitors such as HIP Housing and the police department. Staff noted the town has asked food trucks in the last two years to provide vegetarian or vegan options; vendor and visitor feedback recommended adding some meat options next year. - Youth engagement and attractions: Several committee members pressed for more visible, centrally located activities for children (past attractions cited included a sheep demo and interactive lawn-mower-vs-sheep demonstration). Committee members and staff discussed exploring a mix of signature attractions and more interactive activities to retain family attendance. - Operations and volunteers: The committee flagged that volunteers (local scout troops) ran the bike valet for no cost; staff reported about 100 vegan popsicles were distributed as a reward for people who walked or biked to the event.
Context and next steps Staff and committee members agreed to bring the lessons from this year into planning for 2026, including: offering both vegan/vegetarian and some meat vendor options; identifying at least one high-visibility children’s attraction; and coordinating with subcommittees and staff to craft event proposals for council review. Staff said the council’s increased funding is likely to continue if event costs rise.
Ending Staff and EPC members said they will incorporate the feedback into next year’s outreach plan and return to the committee with a refined proposal; staff will circulate a short meeting summary for subcommittee follow-up.
