What to Know
- Saturday, March 27, 2021 (Earth Hour is always on the final Saturday in March)
- Participating businesses will lower their lights from 8:30-9:30 p.m. local time
- The public is invited to participate in the event, which seeks to raise awareness issues facing the planet
March is known for many can't-miss-'em sights and staples, from flower blooms to strong winds to the start of Daylight Saving Time (and the spring equinox, too).
It's also when famous landmarks around the world set their lights to low, or even off, for a full 60 minutes on a Saturday evening near the end of the month.
The reason behind this notice-garnering, planet-spanning event? Earth Hour, an awareness-raising happening that will turn 15 in 2022.
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The World Wildlife Fund is behind the eye-catching event, which began in Sydney in 2007 but soon popped up in several other cities around the globe.
The reason behind the lights-off effort?
Businesses, homes, and public buildings lower their illumination "... to show support for our planet" and the myriad issues it urgently faces.
In years gone by, the glowing pylons located at the entrance to LAX have forgone their glow on the last Saturday in March, and numerous hotels turned the dial down on lobby lights.
The Pacific Wheel at Santa Monica Pier is a regular participant, and it will join in again by shutting down its famous LED lights for the 2021 event (there are 174,000 of those, for people counting at home).
So how can you join in, even without a landmark or large building of your own?
Here's how: There's a "Virtual Spotlight" that will be "coming to a small screen near you" during Earth Hour 2021.
"This year, as you switch off your lights on the night of Earth Hour (27 March), we're dropping a must-watch video and inviting you to take one simple action," says a statement about the new Virtual Spotlight.
"Our goal? Re-create the same unmissable sight online by taking over the social media feeds of millions around the world and putting the spotlight on our planet, the issues we face, and our place within it all."
You can read more here, and find out how you can join in this multi-country come-together, one that's in honor of our planet, from wherever you happen to be.
