Project 30-90: New Orleans' First Sustainable Music Festival
The New Orleans Examiner
September 2, 2009
An environmentally conscious music festival may be a hard sell for the typical concert attendee. Yet, it is not as big of a stretch as one might think given the amount of waste that the average concert produces.
The typical music festival produces, literally, tons of waste from vendors selling food and drinks in disposable containers. Millions of dollars worth of energy go into generators for the electricity, and stages. Not to mention the impact of rowdy crowds stomping over the festival grounds.
New Orleans festivals attract millions of attendees each year and are a major source of revenue. They also have a major negative impact on the environment, something that Project 30-90 hopes to avoid.
The event is produced by Don Kelly Productions, a New Orleans based company that has made sustainable entertainment part of its mission by committing to using renewable energy and recycling at its events.
The lineup, which features Ghostland Observatory and the Benjy Davis Project is mainstream and attracts a diverse crowd. The art market provides revenue and support to environmentally conscious local artists and vendors, such as In Exchange.
Attendees can even reduce their carbon footprint by purchasing a Green Ticket. The proceeds from Green Tickets will go to the St. Landry Parish Waste Disposal department's methane gas capture program to offset carbon emissions.
In addition to solar powered stages, the producers will also donate trees to the festival grounds and a portion of proceeds will be donated to a local green charity. The event also has a bike friendly policy on the concert grounds, thereby encouraging attendees to bike rather than drive.
The inaugural sustainable concert experience of New Orleans has the potential to be the next major tourist attraction for New Orleans, and bring in revenue on par with Voodoo and Jazz Fest. Even festival goers who aren't environmentalist and can still enjoy the live music, food, and fun.
Don't miss Project 30-90 this Labor Day weekend, September 5th from 2:00 pm to midnight.