During this year’s 10th Earth Hour, hundreds of millions of people from 170 countries – including Greece – will take part in the world’s biggest environment event. Spearheaded by the World Wildlife Fund, the occasion kicks off at 8.30 p.m. on Saturday and requires participants to switch off their lights for an hour.

The goal is not merely to save energy for an hour but to spotlight numerous issues and influence people to make better choices that reduce the impacts of climate change on our planet.

Earth Hour first kicked off in Sydney in 2007, before coming to Greece in 2009. Since then, more and more Greeks have been joining in festivities. The following events are planned for Athens:

• The Athens Hilton will mark Earth Hour, along with hundreds of Hilton Worldwide properties, by switching off lights as well as organizing other projects for guests. A variety of activities at the hotel include a candlelight dinner at the Galaxy Restaurant and a live unplugged music performance by Katerina Duska at the Galaxy Bar from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. While there, enjoy the Earth Love cocktail, a gin, orange juice and ginger concoction created especially for Earth Hour.

• For the past seven years, the Athens International Airport has heeded the WWF’s call for Earth Hour. The airport will switch off the lighting of its western runway system (03L/21R) interrupting its operation between 8.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. Meanwhile, lighting around airport buildings and staff parking lots will be reduced.

• The Grande Bretagne Hotel and King George at Syntagma Square will be among the many buildings switching off their lights for Earth Hour. Other landmarks and iconic buildings will be showing their support from the Parthenon at the Acropolis, Greek Parliament Building and the White Tower at Thessaloniki.

• For the 9th year running, the Greek Vassilopoulos supermarket chain, will be taking part in Earth Hour – or rather – many hours. The lighting outside branches of the chain will be darkened from 8 p.m. Saturday through to 8 p.m. on Monday, March 21. Furthermore, frequent shoppers will be given bonus points for making eco-friendly purchases.

And around Greece

Beyond the gateways of Athens, groups around the country will celebrate Earth Hour in their own special way:

Crete’s Friends of the Astronomy Club will be taking advantage of the dimmed lights to explore the star-studded sky at the Venizelos Tombs at Koubeli, Chania. The annual Earth Hour event gives budding astronomers a chance to explore the skies and also increases awareness concerning light pollution and its consequences to our health.

• The Ananti City Resort of Trikala , northwestern Thessaly, is participating in Earth Hour with a lecture in the dark concerning light pollution. The romance of Earth Hour will be celebrated at the resort’s Oltre Bar Restaurant with a candlelight concert by George Angelakis, titled The Piano Experience.

• The volunteer group, Patrinistas, is participating in global events at Georgiou Square in Patras, the Peloponnese. An candlelit vigil with music, song and drink is in store. The central message of the event is “Shine a Light on Climate Action”.