Want to experience a world-class music concert and help the environment all in one? Then check out Rock the Green, Milwaukee’s first green music festival to strive for near-zero waste. The Milwaukee music festival will showcase six musical artists who practice sustainability in their daily lives in a concert setting that uses clean energy sources and sustainable practices.
Rock the Green, presented by Veolia Environmental Services, will present The Fray as their headliner as well as other famous music acts such as Ben Folds, Fitz and the Tantrums, Michelle Branch, Christina Perri and native Milwaukee musician, Evan Christian. The green music festival will occur on Sunday, Sept. 18 at Veterans Park at 11 a.m. Tickets are now on sale; $25 for general admission and $50 for limited premiere viewing tickets.
The mission of this zero waste event has three components. The first component is to entertain by giving music with meaning. The musicians were chosen for their overall appeal, current material and support of the green music festival’s mission. Rock the Green will power the concert using clean energy sources such as bio-diesel generators and solar power. There will also be waste reclamation stations and recycling. Revenues made by the concert will be donated to local nonprofit organizations that focus on sustainability.
The second initiative of the Milwaukee music festival is to engage by inspiring action. Vendors will provide food from local sources. National sustainability organizations will also have booths and exhibits to engage people. There are also opportunities to volunteer at the concert or to help out through community organizations such as Park People and the Urban Ecology Center.
The third component of Rock the Green’s mission is to educate and learn through interactivity. Attendees are encouraged to share the eco-conscious stories learned at the festival and to relate their own. Bloggers who attend can share tips, ideas or trends on music, sustainable food or clean energy sources. This component is to empower the audience to carry out what they’ve learned at the concert into their daily lives – to live a more eco-conscious lifestyle.
Emylisa Warrick is an Online Editorial Assistant at Ogden Publications, the parent company of MOTHER EARTH NEWS. Find her on Google+.
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