Another green festival grows in California

Following on the heels of the recent Green Apple and Harmony Festivals in northern California, as well as the global Live Earth concerts earlier this summer, another environmentally focused music festival, the Think Green World Music Festival, is set for its inaugural run September 8 at Skyline Wilderness Park in Napa CA. Featuring musical acts Harry Best & Shabang, Caribbean Allstars, West African Highlife Band and Mambo This!, the festival will also offer workshops and exhibits about promoting environmental awareness.

Organizers will minimize the event's carbon footprint by using a solar-powered music stage and providing composting and recycling stations. Advance tickets are available online for $20; at the door, admission is $25.

The greening of the music festival industry is all the rage this year as established events scramble to reduce their environmental impact. It remains to be seen if new events focused on environmental awareness will find a niche in the burgeoning festival market, or if festival-goers' interest in environmental involvement will be satisfied by existing events that add a green component.

The bet here is that both trends will continue to grow. Some attendees will begin to make decisions about where to spend their festival dollar on the basis of environmental impact. People passionate about the environment will attend festivals that are green from the ground up.