The annual spring Earth Day celebration, Musketaquid’s primary event, includes a morning River Ceremony, the Earth Day Parade through Concord Center, and an Arts and Environment Festival involving many local collaborating organizations. In the months leading up to Earth Day, Musketaquid sponsors many different workshops in which participants can create Earth Floats, puppets, costumes, musical instruments, and more, for the event.

River Ceremony

Come start Musketaquid Earth Day  with a song and a splash.  Gather at the Lowell Road landing and on the bridge above at 10 am on Earth Day, as the Earth Floats are set adrift in their annual flotilla accompanied by music from Voices for the Earth. As the Floats make their way downstream and out of our sight, we consider the impact our activities and choices have downstream in our lives. The river reminds us, too, of how we are affected by what happens upstream.

Earth Day Parade

Following the River Ceremony, giant puppets representing Concord’s fauna and flora parade through Concord Center, along with diverse groups of musicians, dancers, masked and costumed children, floats created by local organizations, and more. If you don’t have a puppet to carry, don’t worry, we have plenty! Or you can make one in our annual puppet workshop.

Arts and Environment Festival

Art activities for children, entertainment, food, and information tables from local environmental organizations complete Musketaquid’s Earth Day at the Emerson Umbrella. Come and network with like-minded community members and celebrate our connection to the Earth!

Workshops for Earth Day 2008

Puppet and Parade Workshops

Sundays, March 2, 9, 16, and 30
1:00—5:00 pm
Mark Dannenhauer

Each year at Musketaquid’s Earth Day celebration, giant puppets parade through Concord Center on their way to the Emerson Umbrella. And each year, Musketaquid offers workshops where you can create a creature to join the parade. Along with puppets, you can make masks, headdresses, instruments, and more. To build a giant puppet plan to attend all four sessions. To make other creations, you can attend one session or all four. Children are welcome with an adult partner. There is no fee for the workshop, but pre registration is appreciated. To sign up, call Musketaquid at 978-371-0820. You’ll be given the opportunity to support the work of Musketaquid by contributing to a donation can that will be passed during the workshops.

Earth Float Workshops

Saturday, April 12
Sunday, April 27
1:00—4:00 pm
C.C. King

Start the Musketaquid Celebration with a splash! Create and launch your own sculpture down the Concord River. These half-day workshops focus on the fundamentals of building floating sculptures of natural materials that bring your image of animals, land, or environmental issues to life. Join with friends and family and work as a team. Before the workshop collect any multiple lightweight items such as grasses, reeds, saplings, vegetation and gourds. Bring them with you and build upon a raft base that will be provided. You can come to one or both workshops. Pre registration is appreciated and a $25 donation per family is requested.