Living Earth to Curate Live Music at Native Plant Festival Claremont 2026, Lineup Announced; Full Schedule, Date Details Still Pending
Claremont’s California Botanic Garden will host a second annual Native Plant Festival in 2026, featuring Living Earth–curated live music, family programming, workshops, tribal ethnobotany conversations, and local food trucks for a day focused on biodiversity and community.
- Event: Native Plant Festival Claremont 2026 at California Botanic Garden (1500 North College Avenue, Claremont, CA 91711).
- Main draw: Living Earth music performances featuring Paul Livingstone & Alma Cielo, Diego Gaeta & V Ontiveros, Alex Wand & Nelle June Anderson, and Two Point (Sharada Shashidhar & Caleb Buchanan).
- Programming: Workshops, bilingual production nursery tours, tribal ethnobotany conversations, partner booths, and local food trucks (see the Eventbrite page and Discover Los Angeles listing).
Performances and what’s known now
Living Earth, an arts-and-ecology collective, is curating live music for the festival using a small-stage setup described as a “cultivar garden” stage beneath a large oak, intended to sit inside the Garden’s habitats and invite reflection on interspecies relationships and local wildlife — including monarch butterflies. See Living Earth’s notes on the setup at the Living Earth event listing.
The small-stage “cultivar garden” design places performances within living habitat to emphasize ecological connections and invite reflection on local wildlife.
Announced performers:
- Paul Livingstone & Alma Cielo
- Diego Gaeta & V Ontiveros
- Alex Wand & Nelle June Anderson
- Two Point (Sharada Shashidhar & Caleb Buchanan)
Organizers say set times and artist bios will be posted soon; at press time, Living Earth’s listing notes that full performance scheduling is pending. A third-party listing on Discover Los Angeles and the Eventbrite page reference March 28, 2026, but festival pages do not confirm a final date — patrons should check the Living Earth gatherings page and the California Botanic Garden listing for updates.
Food, vendors and partners
Festival food and beverage vendors confirmed so far include Word of Mouth Vegan Food Truck, Crepes Bonaparte Food Truck, and Marigold Coffee Collective. These offerings aim to complement the Garden’s ecology-focused programming (see the Eventbrite page and a Discover Los Angeles notice).
Partners and participants include the City of Claremont Park Rangers; Friends of the LA River; San Gabriel Valley Mosquito & Vector Control District; Santa Ana Regional Water Board; California Native Plant Society; and the San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians Gabrieleno/Tongva. This mix signals programming that combines ecology, conservation, public health, and Indigenous knowledge.
Planned activities highlighted on the Eventbrite listing include:
- 11:15 AM — Tongva Ethnobotany: White Sage and more, a conversation with Samantha Morales Johnson Yang, Tribal Ethnobotanist.
- 11:15 AM — Production Nursery Tour (Spanish & English): Behind-the-scenes look at native plant production for gardening and habitat restoration.
Context: California Botanic Garden events and community role
California Botanic Garden, located at 1500 North College Avenue, Claremont, emphasizes native plant conservation and community programming. The Native Plant Festival expands that mission by combining public education, local stewardship, and arts programming; see the Garden’s event listing on Eventbrite.
Living Earth’s curatorial approach — placing performance inside a living landscape — aims to deepen the festival’s ecological message. The inclusion of Indigenous-led programming and multilingual tours suggests outreach to the San Gabriel Valley’s diverse communities (further information at Living Earth and a community listing on Inland Empire KidsOutAndAbout).
Reporting gaps and questions for organizers
Outstanding items:
- Final date and full performance schedule. One listing references March 28, 2026, but organizers have not confirmed set times — check the Discover Los Angeles listing and the Living Earth gatherings page for updates.
- Accessibility, parking and transit logistics. Event pages so far lack comprehensive visitor logistics; organizers may post details on the Eventbrite page.
- Artist bios and set descriptions. Named performers are listed on several event pages, but full bios and set details are pending (see KidsOutAndAbout and Eventbrite).
Organizers advise patrons to check the California Botanic Garden event listing and Living Earth’s gatherings listing for confirmed dates, full music schedules, artist bios, and visitor logistics.
Implications for Los Angeles, California
Economic impact: The festival provides a modest boost to the local economy — food trucks and coffee vendors gain revenue and exposure, while festival visitors may patronize downtown Claremont businesses.
Political and civic consequences: Partnerships with agencies such as the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito & Vector Control District and the Santa Ana Regional Water Board use the festival as a platform for public education on environmental health and water management. The presence of the San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians Gabrieleno/Tongva and Tongva-led programming underscores local attention to tribal knowledge and land stewardship.
Social and cultural effects: Family-friendly programming, bilingual tours, and Indigenous-led talks aim to broaden participation and link arts with ecology — an approach that resonates with Los Angeles’ arts scene and community conservation efforts.
Practical applications: Attendees can gain hands-on skills in native-plant gardening and habitat restoration through workshops and production nursery tours; multilingual offerings expand access for Spanish speakers.
For the latest information — confirmed dates, full music schedule, and visitor logistics — check the Eventbrite page, the Living Earth gatherings listing, and the Discover Los Angeles notice.
