Party Tutorial: Earth Day Entertaining Tips from Eco Experts

Earth Day Entertaining Tips from Eco Experts

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Since Earth Day falls on a Friday this year (April 22nd), it’s a perfect excuse to host an Earth Day party for your friends and family. To help make your special celebration a wonderful occasion, today’s entertaining tutorial features Earth Day entertaining tips from Eco Experts.

Earth Day Entertaining Tips from Eco Experts

Now in its 46th year, Earth Day is a movement that continues to inspire, challenge ideas, ignite passion and motivate people to action. In 1970, the year of the first Earth Day, the movement gave voice to an emerging consciousness, channeling human energy toward environmental issues. [Source: EarthDay.org]

From organically-grown wine and food, to eco-friendly party favors and decorations, here are some easy Earth Day entertaining ideas to inspire you.

When planning an Earth Day party, the first thing to consider is the setting. An outdoor space, such as a garden, patio, or even a winery overlooking a vineyard (if you plan on having a larger event) is the ideal setting for an Earth Day party. Lush greenery and natural foliage are always the perfect backdrop for a beautiful evening under the stars.

Set-up re-usable wood tables and chairs. Instead of plastic cutlery, Gabrielle Lindau (Director of Sustainability for Emerald Brand) says, “say goodbye to the days of foam and plastic. Going green can help you save green! Choose sustainability sourced food and dinnerware. Emerald’s collection of Tree-Free plates, bowls, and cups are sturdy and reliable for any feast.” Emerald Brands is “a national provider of sustainable products, dedicated to bringing cost-effective environmentally safe solutions to businesses, facilities and homes.”

For table-top decorations, Sebastien Sanges (Head Designer and President of La Bonne Cuisine Catering and Events of Oakland, California) suggests using “succulent plants for decoration. They require very little water, and they are very sturdy, so you can give them away to your guests or you can replant them when you are done and use them again when needed.” Sebastien brings years of experience as an acclaimed Event Designer in France to his work, and is inspired by a love of nature and global cultures.

After the table settings are figured out, it’s on to food and beverages. To help you figure out the best food and wine pairings is Anna Russell (General Manager of organically-produced De Tierra Vineyards, Winery & Tasting Room in Monterey County, California).

“At De Tierra, we strive to use a minimalist style of wine-making, with the least amount of intervention, little fining and filtering, and organic and vegan practices.” Relative to food and wine pairings, she suggests, “Firstly, avoid pairing high alcohol and high acid wines with spicy or extreme flavors, as they will highlight these elements in the dish, and may be over powering. A better selection for spicy, flavorful food would be an off-dry style, like a riesling or gewurztraminer. Secondly, a pairing should seek to either create an interesting contrast, or highlight similar note in both the wine and the dish. An example of highlighting a similar note would be smoked or BBQ’d chicken, paired with a smokey oak spiced Chardonnay. And finally, taste your pairing!”

When deciding on a menu for your Earth Day party, opt for fish that’s wild-caught and sustainably fished (for guidelines, event expert Sebastien Sanges suggests using the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch), chicken that is pastured and organic, and meats that are 100% grass-fed, pastured and organic. Make sure to choose organic fruits and vegetables as well.

For dessert, why not keep things simple and give your guests delicious flower-shaped cookies from Eleni’s NY. To celebrate Earth Day, they are offering “flower cookies that come with a seeded gift tag that after planted will grow into wildflowers – just a ‘sweet’ way to honor Earth Day”. This makes the perfect after-dinner dessert and party favor, all-in-one!