Satchmo Summerfest "Geauxing Green"
In New Orleans, we certainly love our festivals. We also love our city, and want to celebrate while taking good care of it.
This is French Quarter Festivals, Inc. aims to do with their initiative entitled "Geauxing Green," introducing a new way to host festivals while reducing the environmental cost of doing so.
Launched in 2021 and already adopted at seven French Quarter Festivals, "Geauxing Green" is being implemented at Satchmo Summerfest 2025, set to take place August 2 and 3.
What it Looks Like
Geauxing Green is a cleaner way to celebrate, creating less waste and keeping the waste that is produced off of the ground and out of the water.
So far, French Quarter Festivals estimates that since the program's start, 213k pounds of trash have been diverted from landfills, creating a 36% diversion rate.
In order to accomplish this, French Quarter Festivals is focusing on producing less waste by prioritizing multi-use materials and souvenirs. It also relies on its many volunteers who ensure that waste ends up in the appropriate landfill, recycling, or compost receptacle. Volunteers for French Quarter Festivals have put in over 1,000 hours to contribute to making the city's festivals more green.
It is also turning to renewable energy for its Omni Royal Orleans stage and light towers.
Why it Matters
Keeping our festivals as clean and environmentally friendly as possible matters for the protection of our natural areas, animals, and even human health. Waste that ends up in landfills contributes to air pollution, which can lead to a plethora of health problems. Litter that ends up in the Mississippi River harms the aquatic life that depends on it, as well as decreases the quality and availability of human food sources.
How You Can Help
French Quarter Festivals encourages you to take actions to limit your own personal waste. This can look like replacing single-use items, such as cups and plastic silverware, with multi-use items, taking public transportation, and carpooling.
One of the biggest things you can do to help when attending festivals like Satchmo Summerfest is to make sure that your waste ends up in the appropriate receptacles, and not on the ground.
Additionally, you can apply to volunteer on the Green Team here!
