Earth Festival

Saturday • May 9, 2026 • 10 - 3pm
SUNY Oneonta, Chase Gymnasium

Workshops • Seminars • Activities • Vendors • Recycling

An annual celebration of sustainability, community, and environmental stewardship that brings together families, students, local organizations, makers, and environmental partners for a full day of learning, inspiration, and hands-on activities.

Vendors & Exhibitors

  • Adirondack Mountain Club, Susquehanna Chapter

  • Arabella-Soap Things

  • Audra's Craft Studio

  • Bread too

  • Butternut Valley Alliance

  • Casella

  • Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership

  • Charmed I'm sure

  • City of Oneonta Climate Smart Communities Task Force

  • Community Foundation of Otsego County

  • Cooperstown Oneonta Indivisible

  • Cooperstown Repair Cafe

  • Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteers

  • Delaware Otsego Audubon Society

  • Gail Fairbairn Crafts

  • Glimmerglass Festival Guild

  • Goodyear Lake Association

  • Granola Girl Beeswax Wraps

  • Hanford Mills Museum

  • Happy Cat Suds Goat Milk Soap

  • Handmade by Jill

  • Hartwick Pine Lake Campus

  • JH Gifts

  • Koop Wildlife Rehabilitation, Inc.

  • League of Women Voters Cooperstown Area

  • Leatherstocking Beekeepers

  • Mike Parsons Artifacts

  • Mohawk Valley Clean Energy Hub

  • Oneonta Police Department

  • Opportunities for Otsego

  • Otsego 2000

  • Otsego County Democratic Committee

  • Otsego County Planning & Solid Waste Dept

  • Otsego County SWCD

  • Otsego Land Trust

  • Otsego Outdoors

  • Reuse Center

  • Regifted Riches

  • Sun Valley Farms

  • Trout Unlimited

  • United Women of Faith

  • Upper Catskill Natural Burial

  • Upper Susquehanna Coalition

  • Weaving By Marnie

  • Worms Waste Not

Accepted Recyclables at Drive-Through Drop-Off:

10am - 2pm at the parking lot adjacent to the alumni field house

  • Paper Shredding

  • Textiles

  • Styrofoam

  • Cork

  • Coffee Pods

  • Christmas lights

  • VHS, CDs, Cassette Tapes

  • Ink and Toner Cartridges

  • Toothbrushes

  • Floss containers

  • Toothpaste tubes

Have something else you need to dispose of?
Click here to see how on the Otsego County website.

Cooperstown Repair Cafe:

Fix your things for free! The Cooperstown Repair Cafe will be at the Earth Festival in the Chase Gymnasium. Volunteer expert repair coaches will evaluate your broken items and help you to fix them. (Materials charge may apply.) 

  • Jewelry repair

  • Small appliances

  • Lamps

  • Sewing projects and advice, including visible mending

  • Bicycles

  • Laptop computers (advice) 

  • Small furniture

Activities:

  • Activities at the A.J. Reed Science Discovery Center.

  • “Museum” exhibit by the Cooperstown Graduate School students

  • Oneonta World of Learning Children’s Activities

  • Utica Zoo Mobile

  • Planetarium showings at the A.J. Reed Science Discovery Center; $4 per ticket, with shows at 11am, 12pm, 1pm and 2pm. Pre-purchase tickets here or buy them day of the event.

    From Earth to the Universe takes visitors on a journey through space and time, exploring how ancient cultures viewed the night sky from Earth and how scientists explore the stars and planets today with the latest space telescopes. Best for adults and children ages 5 and up.

    *Shows start promptly on the hour; no late admission.
    **is cost a barrier for your family? email Robin at SDC@Oneonta.edu for free or reduced cost ticket.

Workshops & Seminars:

  • Propagation by Hardwood and Softwood Cuttings a workshop by Kat Chiba (Strawhouse Herbs) @ 12:30 PM-Perna Science Center

    The basic methods of taking cuttings to propagate plants is an old one. Today reasons to do this include frugality, diversity, and community. Both the techniques and best species for each method will be discussed and demonstrated in this workshop.

  • Farmland Protection Resources presented by Justin Williams (Otsego Land Trust) and Shannon Finn (CADE) @ 11:00-Perna Science Center

    The seminar will go over funding and financial incentives for farms, agricultural sustainability practices, succession planning for farmland, and open up to a Q&A.

People organizing and sorting goods at an outdoor recycling or donation event with boxes, bags, and various items on tables and the ground in a grassy field under cloudy skies.
Table of various potted plants in glass terrariums and decorative ceramic containers, displayed at an indoor event.
Two people standing in the back of a moving truck filled with old electronics and appliances, smiling and looking at the camera.
A woman demonstrates painting with colorful paints on a table, engaging a man and a child in a crafts activity at an indoor event.
An indoor community event or fair takes place in a gymnasium, with multiple tables and booths set up for various organizations and vendors. People walk around, engaging with the displays and each other. The gym has a wooden floor, a basketball hoop,
A man is showing small animal skulls to children at an indoor educational event, with various animal pelts and educational materials on the table and children in the background.
OCCA Board Members at Earth Festival
A wildlife rehab specialist at Earth Festival
Children viewing the Utica Zoomobile at the Earth Festival
OCCA interns serving ice cream at the 2024 Earth Festival.
Raffle baskets at the OCCA Earth Festival

Get Involved with Earth Festival 🌱

Earth Festival is powered by community—neighbors, nonprofits, businesses, students, and volunteers all coming together to celebrate and care for our shared environment. There are several ways to participate, whether you’re lending a hand for a few hours or partnering with us more deeply.

  • 🌿 Volunteer at Earth Festival


    Volunteers are the heart of Earth Festival. From welcoming visitors and helping with children’s activities to supporting recycling stations and event logistics, volunteers play a key role in making the day run smoothly.

    No special experience is required—just a willingness to help and be part of a fun, community-centered event. Volunteer shifts are flexible, and volunteers are welcome to enjoy the festival before or after their shift.

    Become a Volunteer

  • 🐝 Host a Table or Exhibit


    Earth Festival brings together environmental organizations, educators, community groups, and mission-aligned businesses to share hands-on activities, demonstrations, and information with the public.

    Tabling is a great opportunity to connect directly with families and community members, share your work, mission, or services, and inspire environmental action through interactive experiences.

    We welcome nonprofits, community groups, and businesses whose work aligns with environmental stewardship, sustainability, education, and community well-being.

    Become a Vendor / Exhibitor

  • 🌎 Call for Workshop Proposals


    Do you have a skill, passion, or idea you’d like to share with our community? The Otsego County Conservation Association invites educators, artists, practitioners, and community members to lead a workshop at our annual Earth Festival.

    Workshops are typically 45 minutes, including time for questions and discussion. We are flexible on topic and welcome proposals related to environmental stewardship, sustainability, wellness, land and water conservation, arts and nature, gardening, forest management, local food, and more.

    Most sessions will be held in conference rooms, with additional space available in a dance studio, auditorium, and outdoor settings for movement-based, hands-on, or experiential programs.

    If you’re interested in presenting, we’d love to hear from you! Please submit a brief description of your proposed workshop, preferred setting, and any space or equipment needs.

    Present a Workshop

  • 🌱 Share Your Earth Month Event


    Earth Festival is just one part of a larger season of environmental action across Otsego County. Organizations (and businesses too!) are welcome to submit information about their events. All submissions are subject to review by the Earth Festival committee. There is no fee for this promotion, but donations and sponsorships to offset Earth Festival expenses are certainly welcome!

    Submitted events will be included in OCCA’s Earth Month Calendar of Events, which will be promoted online and featured as a full-page newspaper ad connected to Earth Festival outreach. This ad will run in April (around mid month) and will include environmentally focused activities & events that are scheduled to take place between Friday, April 17 and Sunday, May 10, 2026.

    Events can include walks, workshops, cleanups, talks, youth programs, volunteer opportunities, and more.  Please submit your event by April 12 to guarantee placement in our full-page ad. 

    Share Here

This year, Earth Festival is proudly sponsored by:

Thank you to our generous Earth Festival sponsors for making this event possible. Interested in sponsoring?

Click here to get involved.

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