Arcadia Earth Toronto has unveiled a comprehensive Earth Month program centred around the theme “Small Changes, Big Impact,” introducing a new installation and marketplace activities aimed at the summer tourism season, President Craig Perlmutter told 6ixRetail in an exclusive interview.
Now 16 months into operations at The Well development, the 17,000-square-foot environmental attraction has expanded beyond its initial focus on daily visitors to include a substantial events business that was not part of the original plan.
“Getting people here, getting people inspired, getting people to think about the environment in a highly immersive, entertaining way has worked out great,” Perlmutter said. “What’s a little bit different is we didn’t realize the space would be as useful for events and different activations and panels and book launches.”
The new Earth Month installation, “Every Action Has a Reaction,” demonstrates how small daily choices impact environmental outcomes. “It’s almost like a mini movie that tells the story of how you can easily change how and what you’re searching in your search bars,” Perlmutter explained, highlighting everyday decisions from transportation options to shopping alternatives.
The attraction will host “Earth Fest” over the April 18-21 long weekend, featuring marketplace vendors showcasing sustainable products. “We’re activating the marketplace with about half a dozen maybe more of our brand partners that are going to come set up shop and show people their product and tell them why they’re doing what they’re doing,” said Perlmutter.
Earth Fest will include family-friendly activities including sustainable crafts, face painting, and live animals presented by Earth Rangers, making it an ideal destination for families during the long weekend.
Events Business Fills Revenue Gap
Since opening in December 2023, Arcadia Earth has developed a significant private events operation that now complements its daily visitor business. The venue has hosted corporate functions, holiday parties, and private celebrations.
“We’ve had 40-person seated dinners, an 80-person seated dinner in there with complete custom content that just changes the way you can have an event quickly and easily,” Perlmutter noted. “The only thing we haven’t had in here yet was a wedding or an engagement party. Literally almost everything else.”
The events business gained momentum after August when a specialized manager joined the team. “We have an incredible person now that’s been running that since August, and she’s just taken it to another level and has created a way for people to see what our space can look like,” Perlmutter said.
Location Strategy at The Well
Arcadia Earth’s position at The Well development—approximately 10-15 minutes walking distance from Union Station—provides strategic advantages as the development continues to establish itself as a premier destination in downtown Toronto.
“The location is second to none,” Perlmutter stated. “People can make a day out of it, whether it’s families or tour groups or whoever’s coming downtown.”
Perlmutter sees exciting potential for collaborative marketing among The Well’s businesses. “I think there’s room for a concerted effort and more community among The Well and its retailers,” he said. “You can actually come to The Well and have brunch and then go to Arcadia Earth and then you can go shopping and then you can go bowling and then you can have dinner, you can have drinks and then go to Aera at 8 Spadina and have an unbelievable rooftop drink late at night.”
Future Expansions and Installations
Looking ahead, Arcadia Earth is developing two new installation rooms to keep the experience fresh for returning visitors.
“They’re going to be incredible, especially one that we have a full visual of what this physical art installation is going to look like about a certain topic,” Perlmutter explained. One planned room will focus on sustainable fashion and integrate with brand partnerships.
To expand its market reach, Arcadia Earth is diversifying its marketing strategy beyond social media to target visitors from outside Toronto’s immediate area. “We’re developing additional channels to complement our digital presence, with particular focus on tourism partnerships through the Ontario Motor Coach Association and regional tour operators,” Perlmutter explained. “The objective is to establish Arcadia Earth as a recognized destination for visitors planning excursions to downtown Toronto.”
Environmental Education Approach
Arcadia Earth has positioned itself within the growing sector of educational tourism, where visitors seek meaningful experiences beyond traditional attractions.
“People are starting to seek out off the map experiences in which they learn something,” Perlmutter observed, noting that visitors often arrive with limited expectations but leave with both entertainment value and environmental inspiration.
“When they get here they’re pleasantly surprised that it’s not just that and there is some inspiration and we don’t try to hammer them over the head with telling them that they’re destroying the planet,” Perlmutter said. “Our bit is you can make changes.”
Perlmutter emphasized that sustainable choices often make economic sense. “Being more environmentally friendly to the planet is actually less expensive most of the time,” he noted.
As Arcadia Earth approaches its second summer season, the attraction continues refining its dual business model of daytime visitors and private events while expanding its programming to meet growing tourism demand in downtown Toronto.
Dustin Fuhs is the Editor-in-Chief of 6ix Retail. He is the former Editor-in-Chief of Retail Insider, Canada’s most-read retail trade publication. He has over 20 years of experience in the retail, marketing, entertainment and hospitality industries, including with The Walt Disney Company, The Hockey Hall of Fame, Starbucks and Blockbuster.
Dustin was named as a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert in 2024 and 2025.