In addition to continuously improving the festival operations, logistics & overall fan experience, an ongoing endeavor of the Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival is to do everything possible to respect and cherish the natural beauty of the festival site, the surrounding area, and the earth as a whole. Each year the festival will make progress towards the eventual goal of being a carbon neutral event while utilizing as many biodegradable, repurposed, recycled & sustainable materials as possible.
Additionally, organizers of the Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival (OMF) recently announced their Okeechobee community partnership initiatives in advance of the festival. Specific initiatives build on the partnership with the local community fostered from OMF’s inaugural 2016 festival and include increasing local nonprofit partners to 10 total, all with presence on-site at the festival, partnering with local businesses to enhance the OMF 17 experience, and continuing to employ the community in festival-related jobs.
OMF 16’s community partnership initiatives included cash donations of $52,000 to three partner nonprofits and county support of $78,000. OMF 16 also created hundreds of local jobs and increased sales revenue to Okeechobee County and surrounding communities. OMF 16’s sold out festival brought an unprecedented increase in retail and hotel business, selling out every hotel room in a 2-hour radius for the duration of the festival. Total economic impact from OMF 16 was $16.4M with $1.5M in state and local taxes generated by the festival.
OMF 17 nonprofit partners include Treasure Coast Food Bank, Martha’s House, The Warrior Center, Home Builders Institute, Drug Court Advocate, an initiative of the Okeechobee Substance Abuse Coalition, United Way of Lee, Hendry, Glades and Okeechobee Counties, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 69 and For Okeechobee, Inc.
At this year’s festival, community efforts will also include a Nonprofit initiative called “Participation Row” to encourage and foster interactions and engagement between festival attendees and nonprofit partners.
“Nearly a dozen local nonprofits will be featured in the ‘Participation Row’ social action village at the festival, organized by the nonprofit organization HeadCount and sponsored by Orlando-based solar power investment firm Clean Energy Advisors,” commented Headcount Executive Director Andy Bernstein. Bernstein added, “‘Participation Row’ is a place where festival attendees can meet representatives from each nonprofit, take positive actions that support their missions, and enter a free drawing for a D’Angelico guitar signed by the Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival headliners. In addition, the nonprofits will receive proceeds from a VIP signed memorabilia auction.”
OMF 17 organizers, in partnership with Treasure Coast Food Bank (TCFB), will also be collecting leftover food from concessions and consumers in an effort to supply as many meals as possible to local soup kitchens post-festival.
4-Day GA Passes for the festival include parking, tent camping, and access to all four days of the festival. Fans can make the most out of their weekend with the Eternal Sunshine VIP Experience, a variety of Tent and RV Rental options, the Eternal Sunshine VIP Boutique Camping Experience, or a Super VIP Luxury Tour Bus package called The Grand Kachobee. These ticket and lodging packages are customized to give each fan an experience that they will never forget. Detailed information is available on the website.
For tickets and information, go to www.okeechobeefest.com