The Street Works Earth festival returns to 34th Avenue in Jackson Heights on September 21 for its second annual event, merging art, climate action, and community engagement during New York Climate Week. Organized by Street Works in partnership with Make Justice Normal, the day-long festival features over 100 artists, climate experts, and community groups collaborating through co-creation practices. This year's event introduces Future@Work, a career fair designed to help people of all ages explore climate-related career paths, running primarily from 12:00-2:00 pm to offer practical support for those seeking employment in the growing green economy.
The festival directly addresses New York's lagging compliance with the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), using art and community engagement to push for rapid climate action. Additional programming includes Thread Lightly, which explores the cultural and political power of fashion, and Kindred Roots, celebrating practices of care and mental wellness. These programs demonstrate how climate solutions can integrate with daily life and community needs while building on last year's success that attracted over 3,000 attendees and 75 participating artists and community groups.
Jenille Scott, Climate Director at ALIGN, emphasized that "Future@Work shows that climate action and good jobs are inseparable. A just transition means creating opportunities where frontline communities and working people can thrive with dignity, creativity, and purpose." The Future@Work initiative is co-designed by multiple organizations including ALIGN, El Puente, Frontline Resource Institute, KALEIDOSPACE, Make Justice Normal, Street Works, The Veggie Nuggets, Waterfront Alliance, and WE ACT for Environmental Justice, creating a comprehensive approach to workforce development in the climate sector.
Street Works co-founder Anjali Deshmukh noted that combining practical support like job opportunities with joy and creativity builds community resilience. "We need practical support, like good jobs, as well as joy, creativity, and collaboration. Combining these is how we build resilience, experience shared power, and find ways to face the future collectively," Deshmukh stated. The free, family-friendly festival runs from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm ET, serving as both a cultural event and a platform for community organizing around climate justice.
As Monique Aiken, Queens-born co-founder of Make Justice Normal described, the event represents "a living experiment in normalizing justice-centered organizing" that demonstrates equitable, care-driven solutions co-created with the community. The festival's approach shows how climate action can be integrated with cultural expression and practical economic opportunities, creating a model for community-based climate solutions that address both environmental and social needs simultaneously.
