In an ongoing effort to raise the profile of Earth Day (April 22), the third Green Apple Festival will expand this year with eight simultaneous concerts in city parks across the United States on April 20.

Producers of the 2008 Green Apple Festival, in collaboration with nonprofit Earth Day Network and presenting sponsor Chase, will set up free outdoor festivals in New York (Central Park), Washington, D.C. (the National Mall), Chicago (Lincoln Park Zoo), Miami (Bicentennial Park), Denver (City Park), Dallas (Fair Park), San Francisco (Golden Gate Park) and Los Angeles (Santa Monica Pier).

Artist lineups for each city are still coming together, but Green Apple Festival founder and executive producer Peter Shapiro says, "We're out there talking to a wide range" of performers. "We have a couple of acts on board," he tells Billboard.biz. "There will be big acts at all of the free eight events."

Each festival site will invite nonprofit environmentally friendly organizations to promote new technology and products. "We use the music to get people there in a family-friendly environment," says Shapiro. "Then they can learn about simple things they can do to improve their impact on the earth."

In the days leading up to the event, from April 18-19, about 150 clubs across the country will become "Green Apple Venues." Organizers plan to introduce environmentally friendly practices and products to participating facilities. In addition, the more than 1,000 acts performing will be encouraged to speak about Earth Day from the stage, according to Shapiro, who owned the environmentally focused New York venue Wetlands Preserve. Bands will also be asked to make a donation to an environmentally oriented charity.

Last year's Green Apple Festival -- billed as the largest carbon-neutral event of its kind -- was held in New York, Chicago and San Francisco. The festival featured such artists as Bob Weir & Ratdog, the Decemberists, Taylor Hicks, Stephen Marley and the Kaiser Chiefs, among many others.