Every fall, Knoxville’s urban tree canopy provides a vivid display of red, yellow and orange leaves. What better way to celebrate the beauty of the city’s trees than by participating in Arbor Day?

Join the City of Knoxville Tree Board and Lonsdale Elementary School for Arbor Day fun on Friday, Nov. 6, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. The event will take place at Lonsdale Elementary School, 1317 Louisiana Ave.

There will be a poster contest and various student performances to aid in honoring the trees that provide shade and seasonal color, increase property values and clean the air we breathe.

The Spanish village of Mondonedo is credited with holding the world’s first documented Arbor Day festival in 1594. Almost 280 years later, Nebraska City, Neb., planted 1 million trees on April 10, 1872, believed to be the first American Arbor Day celebration.

Arbor Day celebrations are trending toward a fall schedule, since that coincides with the best time to plant trees and shrubs. 

For 24 consecutive years, the City of Knoxville has been named a Tree City USA community by the Arbor Day Foundation in honor of its commitment to effective urban management. The City plants about 500 trees at parks and on public right-of-ways each year.