The electronica tent at the Desert Rocks Music Festival in Moab, Utah has the sun to thank for its power. Energy collected during the day by solar panels fuels the tent’s nighttime activities.
The festival runs from May 28-30.
The lineup includes bands such as Groundation, Chali 2na of Jurassic 5 and Abstract Rude.
Music and good vibes aren’t the only important thing at this festival. The environment will take the stage throughout, said Marc Ross, founder and president of the nonprofit organization Rock the Earth.
He said this festival is more than just a music festival; it’s an educational experience. Ross is one of two coordinators for the sustainable aspect of the festival.
“We are trying to make Desert Rocks have as little environmental footprint,” he said. “At the same time, we’re trying to educate people that attend Desert Rocks by having a group of pretty cool experiences that they can also take home with them and implement in their own lives.”
Festival representatives are also conducting a carbon evaluation of the festival’s impact on the environment. Ross said the evaluation will help them pinpoint what needs to be changed for future festivals.
Ross wanted to take advantage of the music schedule at the festival, which starts in the late afternoon and continues into the early morning.
“We’ve partnered with two different groups; one of them is Plateau Restoration, Inc., which is a nonprofit made up of seasoned scientists and ex-park rangers to provide two incredible excursions,” he said. “One is going to be a private tour of Arches National Park. It’s going to include some hikes and some discovery places — petroglyphs that aren’t on the map.”
Other excursions include a rafting trip and a mountain bike tour.
Ross said the festival is trying to reduce its waste that goes to the landfill.
“Each trash station will have different bins for glass, plastic and aluminum,” he said. “And we will have a place for compostables that will be taken to a local organic farm and turned into compost.”
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Ross said the food vendors at the festival are encouraged to use washable plates and utensils that patrons will put a deposit down on. Once the items are returned they get their money back.
Ross said water conservation was an important issue because of the desert setting.
“We’re trying to eliminate to the greatest possible extent the use of single-use water bottles,” he said. “It’s a pretty aggressive program where the festival is buying reusable branded water bottles for every artist attending the festival. We’re trying to get them out of the habit of using single-use water bottles. We’re also selling them to patrons. There will be water stations to fill up with clean cold drinking water.”
Another big waste product from a music festival that ends up in a landfill is beer cups, Ross said.
“The first beer you buy in the Desert Rocks commemorative cup is five or six bucks,” he said. “And then every refill, we’re using only tap beer, no bottles or cans, people can buy a refill on that beer for three or four bucks.”
For ticket and lineup information on Desert Rocks Music Festival visit DesertRocks.org
*Desert Rocks is just one of many glorious music festivals going on this summer. Some others include: – Bonnaroo (June 10-13) in Manchester, Tenn. – Sasquatch (May 29-31) in Quincy, Wash. – Summer Camp (May 28-30) in Chillicothe, Ill. – Movement Electronic Music Festival (May 29-31) in Detroit, Mich. – Wakarusa (June 3-6) in Ozark, Ark. – Harmony Festival (June 11-13) in Santa Rosa, Calif. – Lollapalooza (Aug. 6-8) in Chicago, Ill.*
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