One hour may not be much, but when individuals and businesses switch off the lights during Earth Hour on Saturday, Mar 23, it unites everyone to protect the planet, inspire change and adopt sustainable habits.
The lights will be dimmed at Singapore’s most iconic shopping district along Orchard Road from 8.30pm to 9.30pm, as part of the annual Earth Hour celebrations.
In the lead-up to the symbolic Switch Off ceremony, the Singapore chapter of the international WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) will also be holding an all-day Earth Hour Festival hallmarked by 23 edutainment activities and climate-conscious performances at the Wisma Atria shopping mall.
The event offers a day of educational fun for the whole family, empowering attendees to make small changes in their own lives in support of larger conservation and sustainability efforts.
The Earth Hour festivities kick off at 11am with the WWF-Singapore’s very own Nature, Climate and Community activity booths, providing attendees with hands-on educational games that illustrate the complexities of climate change and its potential solutions.
Japanese multinational electronics giant Epson – a partner of WWF-Singapore for Earth Hour Festival – will be operating plant potting workshops along with an engagement booth offering sustainable printer trade-ins; as will fellow partner Watsons Singapore, whose activity station will feature a refilling and recycling demonstration for their health products.
To keep the kiddos entertained all-day-long, the festival will feature face painting stations and colouring booths along with meet-and-greets from iconic Sesame Street characters and the WWF’s panda and bear mascots.
Attendees can expect vibrant dance, drama and musical performances held at regular intervals. Highlights of the day include a cultural Kathak dance by the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS), a drama skit by Orchid Park Secondary School and a percussion performance by music school Damaru Singapore.
The day of eco-conscious revelry culminates in the symbolic switch-off at 8.30pm, which will be accompanied on-site by dazzling guest performances from SIFAS, Green Drummers, Damaru Singapore and the WWF’s Eco-Schools.
The ultimate hope, of course, is that attendees would be able to sustain their newly found eco-friendly sensibilities “Beyond the Hour”, creating lasting change in their lives with the adoption of green practices all year round.
For more information about Earth Hour Festival, visit www.wwf.sg/earthhour.
All photos: Earth Hour Festival 2023 unless indicated.
