Earth Day's going to be bigger and noisier — in a good way! — this year. The 3rd annual Green Apple Festival has expanded to 8 cities, and will be bringing free concerts to landmark parks in Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles (more accurately, Santa Monica), Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Washington D.C.

The Roots, Ziggy Marley, Thievery Corporation, Arrested Development, and many more are scheduled to perform. Dates and times vary, so check Green Apple Festival's website to find out when and where the fest's happening in your town, and what musicians are in the lineup.

Want to really connect with the earth this year? If you're in California, sign up for the 11th annual California State Parks Foundation’s Earth Day 2008 Restoration & Cleanup. Volunteers will be gathering in parks across California to plant trees and community gardens, repair fences and boardwalks, restore trails and wildlife habitats, and remove trash and debris. Sign up for the event in your county and get ready to clean and green your neighborhood park! Non-Californians can check out Envirolink's handy Earth Day 2008 calendar to find nearby events.

Then make an Earth Day resolution to make more eco-minded friends by getting connected with your local Green Drinks group. These informal eco-gatherings are basically social events that give environmentalists an opportunity to drink and mingle!

Both the L.A. and New York groups have special events planned for Earth Day, and many other local chapters do as well. Locate yours, and turn your enviro-activism into a fun, social, communal endeavor.

_{^{Martini photo by Don LaVange via Flickr.}}