Major steps taken to help combat climate change, protect the world’s natural awesome
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Forecastle Festival has, since 2003, aimed to offer equal parts music, art and environmental activism. The activism arm of the festival includes several sustainability partnerships that help to reduce the festival’s carbon footprint, properly dispose of waste, and protect biodiversity hotspots around the globe. This year, Forecastle has expanded its activism efforts, and will be more focused on sustainability than ever before.
“Forecastle was built on the premise of environmental responsibility, and for years we’ve worked to be as sustainable as possible through numerous on-site initiatives and programs, work with the Forecastle Foundation and community nonprofits, recycling, composting, the use of biodiesel fuel for our generators, and much more,” said Forecastle Festival Founder and Captain JK McKnight.
Forecastle fans will have the opportunity to experience many environmental activism initiatives happening both on-site July 13-15, 2018 at Louisville Waterfront Park, and beyond the gates.
Continued Partnership with Arcadia Power Offsets Carbon Emissions with Clean Energy
It takes tens of thousands of kWh of electricity to make Forecastle Festival rock and roll each year. The three-day celebration will again partner with Arcadia Power to neutralize the festival’s carbon footprint.
For the fourth year, Forecastle Festival will run on 100 percent pollution-free electricity through a partnership with national Clean Energy provider Arcadia Power. For every kWh of electricity used at the festival, a kWh is produced and put on the grid by a pollution-free, renewable source, like wind and solar.
As an Arcadia Power Clean Energy Partner, Forecastle Festival meets the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Green Power Partnership requirements, alongside national environmental thought leaders like Google and Whole Foods.
Forecastle remains the only major national festival partnership for Arcadia Power’s offset program and is the only festival in the state to offset its energy usage with wind power.
Kentucky Conservation Projects to Benefit from 2018 Bourbon Cares Program
The Forecastle Foundation will bring back its Bourbon Cares Program during the 2018 festival. This program offers special private barrel selections from various Bourbon partners. Bottles sold will benefit the foundation’s Kentucky-based conservation partners, including Kentucky Natural Lands Trust, Future Fund Land Trust and The Nature Conservancy. This year’s Bourbon Cares selections include Four Roses Single Barrel, Larceny Single Barrel, Old Forester Single Barrel, Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel and Woodford Reserve Double Oaked.
To celebrate these private barrel selections, the foundation will host the 2018 Bourbon Cares Launch Party in advance of the festival. This event will take place on Thursday, July 5 from 5-8 p.m. at the Middletown Liquor Barn, located at 13401 Shelbyville Road, Louisville, KY 40223. This event is open to the public, with a suggested donation to the Forecastle Foundation at the door.
Forecastle Foundation Fundraising Breaks $400,000
In addition to sustainability efforts on-site, the event contributes $1 from every ticket sold to the Forecastle Foundation, an affiliated 501(c)(3) non-profit.
The Forecastle Foundation’s mission is to protect and connect the world’s natural awesome – the most crucial, highly-threatened biodiversity hotspots. The Foundation achieves this goal by partnering with like-minded organizations at home and abroad, to raise awareness, funds and volunteers. The foundation has current, active projects on three continents and five countries, with a goal to reach every region and continent in the years to come.
The Forecastle Foundation’s contributions to philanthropic partners totaled $131,750 in 2017, helping the Foundation break $400,000 in overall giving. This year’s donations included a local contribution to the Future Fund Land Trust, which helps protect the Floyds Fork watershed in Louisville.
On-site at the festival, fans can visit the Forecastle Foundation station to cool off with a Parklands Breeze Tito’s cocktail and an ice-dipped bandana, all while helping to protect the world’s natural awesome. Just look for the 48-foot live art wall near the Mast Stage to find the foundation booth.
Pabst Blue Ribbon Clean Vibes Trading Post Helps Minimize Waste Footprint
Forecastle’s continued partnership with Clean Vibes provides recycling and waste management for the festival. The Clean Vibes Trading Post, presented by Pabst Blue Ribbon, gets the fans involved – allowing patrons to collect recyclable refuse, and in return, can cash in their trash for a selection of special merchandise items. With the help of Clean Vibes, Forecastle Festival diverts 70 percent of its waste from landfills – among the highest in the industry.
PepsiCo Recycling Roadster Increases Recycling Rate and Awareness at Festival
Forecastle has partnered with the Recycling Roadster, PepsiCo’s hybrid vehicle that travels around the country to inform people about the importance of recycling and to inspire action. As part of PepsiCo’s Performance with Purpose agenda, the Recycling Roadster inspires people to recycle by highlighting sustainable behavior, and to learn through fun games and activities. Fans will have the chance to win a sustainable prize from the Recycling Roadster.
REVERB #RockNRefill Reduces Single-Use Plastic Bottles, Benefits Forecastle Foundation
The #RockNRefill program is back this year thanks to Forecastle’s partnership with REVERB and Nalgene. This program offers fans the chance to ditch reusable products by providing custom designed reusable water bottles. Fans can pick up a reusable water bottle for a $15 donation, and free filtered water refill stations are available throughout the festival. All proceeds will support the nonprofit efforts of the Forecastle Foundation and REVERB. In 2018, the program will put more than 50,000 reusable water bottles into the hands of music fans, eliminating the use of more than 800,000 single-use plastic bottles, while raising more than $500,000 for sustainability efforts.
Sierra Nevada Chantey Session IPA Benefits Louisville’s Floyds Fork Watershed
The world’s most sustainable brewery has partnered with the most sustainable music festival. Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and Forecastle Festival are proud to release a new collaboration beer – the Chantey Session IPA. The Chantey Session IPA will be sold on draft at Forecastle Festival, as well as at select locations around Louisville. A portion of the proceeds from each Chantey Session IPA sold will benefit the Forecastle Foundation’s efforts to protect the Floyds Fork watershed in Louisville, one of the last remaining natural stream ecosystems in Jefferson County.
The Forecastle Foundation will host a Sierra Nevada Pint Night, in conjunction with the 2018 Bourbon Cares Launch Party, on Thursday, July 5 from 5-8 p.m. at the Middletown Liquor Barn, located at 13401 Shelbyville Road, Louisville, KY 40223. This event is open to the public, with a suggested donation to the Forecastle Foundation at the door.
State Farm Neighborhood for Good
Through its Neighborhood for Good program, State Farm will provide free gear, WiFi and charging stations to fans at Forecastle Festival. While they’re enjoying the amenities, fans can participate in mini service projects that will benefit the local community.
For more information about Forecastle Festival’s sustainability and giving programs, click here. To learn about the Forecastle Foundation and its mission, visit ForecastleFoundation.org. For the latest news and updates from Forecastle Festival, fans can visit ForecastleFest.com, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and sign up for the Forecastle newsletter.
About AC Entertainment:
AC Entertainment is internationally recognized as an innovative leader in creating, producing, booking and marketing first-class live entertainment experiences – from festivals and concerts to all types of special events. As producers of the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Sloss Festival, High Water Festival and Big Ears Festival, and through the 1,000+ concerts they present nationally each year, AC takes special pride in those unforgettable, spine-tingling moments that everyone remembers long after the lights have come up. For more information on AC Entertainment, visit ACEntertainment.com.
