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Norwalk commission readies April 25 Earth Day festival, lines up volunteers and bike valet
Summary
The Norwalk Bike-Walk Commission discussed plans for the city’s fifth Earth Day Festival — confirmed for Saturday, April 25, 2026 — including a family-oriented walk route, coordinated outreach with neighborhood groups, volunteer staffing for a bike valet, and a test setup of equipment before the event.
The Norwalk Bike-Walk Commission used its Feb. 9 meeting to firm up logistics for the city’s fifth Earth Day Festival, officially scheduled for Saturday, April 25, 2026, and asked commissioners and community partners to help run a family-friendly walk and bike valet at the Norwalk Green.
Commissioners Christina Randall and Manny reported on planning meetings and said organizers hope to revive activities curtailed by last year’s rain. They described a proposed walk route from Nathan Hale to the Norwalk Green and discussed whether some activities should be held on Earth Day (a Wednesday this year) or shifted to the main Saturday festival. An email circulated by festival staff lists the Green event for Saturday, April 25; commissioners said they will clarify midweek vs. main-event programming.
The commission discussed coordinating with neighborhood groups and existing ride/walk leaders to increase turnout. Commissioners explored two approaches: a single large, family-friendly walk and multiple smaller departure points (for example, an East Norwalk group walking down East Avenue). The commission asked the education subcommittee to contact local associations and to recruit volunteers to staff high-visibility positions along routes.
Logistics for the Green include a bike valet, tent and canopy setup, and handout materials. Commissioners agreed to inventory gear stored in the Yankee Doodle Garage and to perform a test setup before April. Several commissioners (Manny, Christina and Nick Pappas were named as volunteers in discussion) offered to help with pickup and equipment transport. The commission also discussed limiting new swag purchases to conserve budget and to prioritize educational materials that could be printed quickly to use remaining grant funds.
What’s next: the education subcommittee will meet Feb. 27 to finalize volunteer needs and promotional materials; the commission plans to confirm which activities will occur midweek and which will be part of the April 25 main festival.
