SALISBURY — Happy Roots’ annual Earth Day Jam is right around the corner. The event represents founder Ashley Honbarrier’s vision to celebrate sustainability and healthy living, a message that resonates with title sponsor Catawba College.

“We know that Happy Roots does so much work with the community with food justice, food insecurity and just teaching people about nature and the plants that help sustain them,” Catawba College Sustainability Program Director Hannah Addair said. “We felt like this was a really great partnership since Catawba is all about educating our students and the surrounding community.”

The partnership with Happy Roots and Earth Day Jam provides more than just an opportunity for Catawba to support a local nonprofit. Students get to be involved as well, with changes to interact with and instruct the larger community.

“The Center of the Environment has paid student positions called environmental stewards,” Addair said. “Our stewards will be there helping with the zero waste efforts. There will be zero waste docents helping people to know what goes into the proper waste streams: landfill wastes, recycling and compost.”

Addair indicated that they have some instructional content designed to make the event even more informative.

“We are working on videos that will be played throughout Earth Day Jam, made by our videographer on campus, about what we are doing at Catawba and the different ways that people can do things at home like start your own garden or use simple kitchen scraps for composting,” she said.

While Earth Day Jam represents Happy Roots’ largest annual event, it’s also a big opportunity for Catawba.

“It also gives Catawba a platform to talk about some of our things through the event,” Addair said. “We will have a few talking points throughout the day, and a big thing that Catawba wants to share with the community is our upcoming celebrations. 2025 marks the 60th year for integration at Catawba and the 100th year of us being allocated in Salisbury.”

As for Addair, who has attended the event multiple times, she’s looking forward to it.

“My favorite part is the education area where Horizons Unlimited and Muddy Sneakers are,” she said. “They always have really fun activities for everyone.”

Honbarrier noted that, as with previous versions of Earth Day Jam, they have a large musical slate.

“We have a lot of great bands as usual,” she said. “We have a very diverse lineup. We have country. We have funk, some blues and soul. We have the Sunshine Stage. We have several upcoming youth singer-songwriters.”
One thing that is different this year is that the event is part of a statewide campaign called the North Carolina Science Festival.

“With so much to cover, we need an entire month to do our state science celebration justice,” the NC Science Festival website says. “Our goal is to help spread science education through exciting, educational and fun hands-on science events. The educational, cultural and financial impact of science affects all North Carolinians, and we want to make sure that continues through future generations.”

Honbarrier said that Earth Day Jam would be one of the NC Science Festival events.

“It checks all the boxes,” she said. “Its STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education and activities for youth and families.”

“Earth Day Jam has gained a lot of popularity across the state. Being that we are not on Earth Day weekend because of Easter, we are getting more people reaching out and wanting to be a part.”

Earth Day Jam does pack a lot into Bell Tower Green.

“We have about 80 organizations, arts and crafts and educators,” Honbarrier said.

Former West Rowan Falcon and upcycle fashion designer Wandy the Maker and his wife Paige will be there to talk about what they do. The Witches of Brick Street, most notable for their Halloween-themed bazaar in downtown Salisbury will be bringing a spring dance to the mix.

“It’s a big community event,” Honbarrier said. “We are all about the more the merrier. If you have something that you want to bring to the table, let’s try to make that happen.”

Additionally, there will be farm-to-table goodies and representatives from Tito’s and Foothills Brewery.

While it all culminated in one day, the event did not come together overnight.

“It’s a year-round planning sort of thing,” she said. “Especially with the artists and musicians, booking several months out. You have to coordinate all that, so it’s exhausting because it is the same time of year that we are getting all these gardens planted.”

Even with planning for Earth Day Jam, Honbarrier remains focused on the Happy Roots mission.

For years, Happy Roots has been a cornerstone of Rowan County’s efforts to promote local food systems, environmental education, and community engagement. Through its school and community garden programs, Happy Roots has helped hundreds of individuals — especially children — learn to grow their own food, fostering important life skills and a deeper connection to the environment.

However, with changes in the financial landscape, the organization has faced reductions in donations, sponsorships and grants, making it difficult to expand services and fully fund all of its initiatives.

A key project — the development of a new farm — has been in the works for some time. With recent events, it’s clearer than ever how crucial this farm is for Happy Roots’ long-term financial sustainability. The farm will not only provide more resources to the community but also help the organization generate income through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscriptions. This will allow Happy Roots to offer fresh, locally grown food while supporting its ongoing programs.

“We know how important this farm is for Happy Roots and the people we serve,” Honbarrier said. “It’s been on the back burner for a while, but with spring approaching, we’re eager to get it up and running. We’re hopeful that with the support of our community, we can make this vision a reality.”

Happy Roots is seeking donations to help complete key projects and ensure the farm’s success. Contributions will cover operational costs, equipment and supplies needed to prepare the farm for spring planting, helping the organization become more self-sustaining while continuing its vital programs.

Honbarrier said some of those equipment needs include a skid steer, or a tractor designed for front end attachments and implements, like a bucket to move soil and compost and forks to move pallets of potting mix.

One of the best ways to support Happy Roots is by attending their annual Earth Day Jam fundraiser. This year’s event is scheduled for April 12, at Bell Tower Green in downtown Salisbury.

Anyone unable to attend Earth Day Jam can still contribute directly to the farm project or to Happy Roots’ general fund. Every donation, no matter the size, helps bring the organization closer to its goal of creating a self-sustaining farm that benefits the entire Rowan County community.

“We are so grateful for the ongoing support from our community,” said the director. “With your help, we can continue to grow and thrive, making a lasting impact on the health and well-being of our neighbors.”

To learn more about how you can help or to attend Earth Day Jam, visit Happy Roots’ website for more information.

Music lovers don’t have to wait until April 12 to celebrate Earth Day Jam. On Friday, Shug’s at Brooklyn South Square is hosting Countdown to Earth Day Jam with Big Daddy Love (BDL) Acoustic Trio. The group has been described as “a blend of rock, bluegrass, southern soul, and psychedelic jams.”

They have played venues of all sizes, from listening-room coffee houses to the 20,000 seat PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC. Their festival resume ranges from local favorites like The Big What to larger regional festivals such as Bristol Rhythm & Roots and the premier southeastern festival, FloydFest.

General admission is $10, the venue is ages 21 and up, and show starts at 8:30 p.m.