Rock the Green is “the convergence of live music, sustainability and giving back to local communities”—three components you don't find very often at music festivals.
Lindsay Stevens Gardner has been working for years to make her vision come true. Teams of professionals and volunteers have all come together to make this an extraordinary event—and the time has finally come for us all to experience the culmination of their efforts.
Let's break it down!
MUSIC
The world-class entertainment has been chosen not only based on their great sounds, but also on their commitments to going green. For example, The Fray lightens its carbon footprint through sustainable touring techniques such as carbon offsets, recycling and online carpooling resources for fans. Ben Folds introduced compostable serving-ware and fuel offsets to lighten his tour's eco-footprint. Michelle Branch is green at home and on the road. While on the road she recycles and hunts down locally grown food and restaurants and back at home she is an avid gardener and even raises her own chickens. Evan Christian uses rain barrels to water an urban garden in his condo parking lot.
Click here for the full line-up, bios, and to have a listen.
SUSTAINABILITY
Cuisine
This will not be a festival with your average hot dogs, chips and soda. All food will be scrumptious, healthy, high quality and affordable. The average price will be about $5 for an item. Food vendors will source as much food locally and organically as possible. All are local restaurants and businesses with the exception of Whole Foods and Chipotle, who both have extensive sustainable corporate cultures and local support practices.
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Here is just a sampling of what to expect:
Bacchus and the soon to open Rumpus Room, both Bartolotta Restaurants, will be serving heirloom tomato and fennel soup and grilled cheese sandwiches using award-winning Carr Valley cheese.
Yes, there will be brats and hotdogs, but they will be free-range, grass-fed beef and veal thanks to Strauss Free Raised.
Four of Surg Restaurant Group's restaurants, Umami Moto, Charro, Carnevor and Ryan Braun's Graffito will be on site serving up specialties such as Parisian-style gnocchi, shrimp and sausage kabobs, and risotto con funghi.
Outpost Natural Foods Co-op has made Wisconsin apples their theme with items such as double crust apple pie and apple cider. They will also offer homemade brownies and granola bars.
Smoothies will be made by Fresh from fresh fruit and veggies right in front of your eyes.
Oh, and we can't forget the brew. This is Milwaukee after all. Sprecher will provide beer, as well as natural sodas.
This is just a small sampling to whet your appetites. For a complete list of restaurants and food suppliers, click here and scroll down to “Farm to Fork.” (The menus will be posted once they are finalized.)
Garbage
All plates, cups, straws and toothpicks will be corn-based and composted. There will be no glass or cans.
Napkins will be chlorine-free and made from post-consumer recycled material.
There will be no plastic water bottles. Everyone will receive a collapsible eco-friendly water bottle (included in ticket price) that can be filled up for free at filtered water stations throughout the grounds.
Veolia Environmental Services will be providing recycled bins and removing all waste for composting.
Food scraps will be thrown into sink stations, ground up, removed and converted into fertilizer for the grounds.
Transportation
The festival is encouraging eco-friendly transportation to the event via some very cool incentives. Carpoolers get a parking discount and bike riders can leave their locks and worries at home. There will be a “bike valet,” kind of like a coat check. The website has a plethora of information for ferries, trains, buses and bikes. Just click here for more information.
Energy
The event will be powered by generators using bio-diesel, solar and wind energy.
GIVING BACK
Rock the Green is a nonprofit and will donate net revenues to two beneficiaries that share a commitment to sustainability, the Urban Ecology Center and Park People.
So Rock and Roll your way to the gates on Sept. 18 (Veterans Park) to be entertained, engaged and educated.
Click here to go to the official Rock the Green website.
(Rock the Green has earned the Travel Green Wisconsin Certification for sustainability practices and is a green destination!)
