Parties for the planet

Every day should be Earth Day in spirit, but April 22 really is, so why not kick up your green heels a little bit? Celebrate the environmental acts you've already done, learn about new stuff you can do, and meet like-minded people at events in your town.

Search online for Earth Day fairs, concerts, recycling events, film fests, art shows, fun runs, lectures, beach clean-ups, nature walks, flea markets, and more across America.

Recycling is a common theme at many Earth Day events. For example, Mercury Technologies offers free recycling of CFLs and e-waste at participating retailers in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois (PDF).

In Virginia Beach, at the appropriately named Mount Trashmore Park, the Earth Day fair offers both e-cycling and plastic bag recycling. Savannah's Earth Day festival features ‘RecycleRama,' where a variety of difficult-to-recycle items will be accepted.

Volunteering to help the planet is another popular activity. The Green Apple Festival is a combination volunteer event and free concert series happening in Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington D.C.

Sign up on the website to help with project such as tree planting in a park or retrofitting school for energy efficiency. Then you'll be rewarded with a free concert by an act like country star Travis Tritt or rockers Los Lobos.

How about a movie? Disney premieres a nature story simply titled "Earth" in theaters nationwide on April 22. This live-action film follows three animal families -- polar bears, African elephants, and humpback whales. When you buy a ticket, Disney claims it will plant a tree in your honor.

Document the natural world yourself and send photos or video to the Environmental Protection Agency's Earth Day Photo Project. The EPA wants to see how you would express the idea of protecting the environment.

Post your photos on the EPA's Flickr groups, and submit 90-second video entries to the EPA's groups on YouTube, all between now and April 30. Each day, one photo and video will be featured.

There are deals to be had in honor of Mother Earth too. The ‘Show Me State' of Missouri has a ‘Show-Me Green' sales tax holiday from April 19 to 25 if you buy Energy Star appliances. In addition to state sales tax, nine counties, 58 cities, and eight special districts are waiving their local taxes too for these purchases.

In Los Angeles and Orange County, CA, homeowners can get a sizable discount on a home-energy audit from Sears. TreeHugger reports that the usually $550 audit will be $99 if you register between April 20 and 26, in honor of Earth Day. A professional home-energy audit can pinpoint where your house leaks so you can see how to lower your power bills.

Get out there and party for the planet by cleaning up, chilling out, or getting a deal. And then celebrate the earth every day by keepin' green.