MNN - Mother Nature Network

The Bonnaroo Festival has long been a pioneer when it comes to mixing sustainability with music and art. Each year, thousands of people converge on a farm in Manchester, Tenn., to not only rock out and groove to the tunes of acts like Jay-Z and the Dave Matthews Band, but also learn about living more sustainable lives. 

 

"Our goal is to influence the decisions patrons can make to create healthy communities at home," says sustainability coordinator Laura Sohn. "It's all about behavior change. We want fans to think beyond just sorting their trash."

 

This year's festival will be introducing some new green additions — like a large victory garden inspired by the compost collected during the four-day event. Classes on gardening basics, seed saving, and mushroom logs will take place, offering attendees tips, seeds and other starter supplies to take home and plant their own gardens.

 

“The victory garden was a natural step,” says Chris Crowell, director of vendor relations, noting that Bonnaroo was the first major American music festival to require compostable supplies at concession areas. “We had this huge compost pile and we just thought it made sense to plant a garden. And it also made sense to do workshops about composting, gardening, how you can do those things on your own.”

 

Besides extensive recycling, composting, and renewable energy use, the festival will once again feature the Planet Roo village, an area dedicated to preserving the environment and promoting healthy living.

 

To find out more about Bonnaroo's sustainability initiatives, hit the official site here. The festival runs June 10-13.