Green Apple Music & Arts Festival

The Green Apple Festival, now in its fourth year, is America’s largest Earth Day Celebration. Its mission is to involve audiences of all ages in celebrating Earth Day, raising local and environmental awareness, educating individuals on environmental issues, hosting cultural events suitable for a wide and varied audience, and providing tangible benefits to local communities and environments.

[http://www.greenapplefestival.com Green Apple Festival] was founded by Peter Shapiro and Zenbu Media. It is produced in partnership with [http://www.earthday.net Earth Day Network] (EDN), the non-profit organization created by the original founders of Earth Day in 1970. The Executive Director is Kathryn Stoddard.

Since the mid-nineties, the growth of Earth Day in the US and around the world has been explosive. More than one billion people in 175 countries now take part in Earth Day activities, according the Earth Day Network. Businesses too have increasingly become involved and now view Earth Day as a day each year to focus on “going green”, exploring climate solutions, and promoting environmental achievements.

With growing public demand for meaningful ways to participate in Earth Day in the US, [http://www.greenapplefestival.com Green Apple Festival] has expanded each year since 2006. It began with one city, New York, in 2006; in 2007, it was held in New York, Chicago and San Francisco. By 2008, Green Apple Festival had grown to eight cities: New York, Washington DC, Miami, Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Los Angeles and San Francisco. In 2009, plans are to grow to10 cities with events on April 19, 2009. In each city, the festival presents large-scale free events in landmark parks, and includes live music, entertainment, guest speakers and environmental activities.

“By featuring a diverse group of musicians and uniting these under one cause, we are able to coordinate an exciting, and unprecedented event. We hope the national footprint of the Festival will help inform as many people as possible on these important issues. And, we hope to keep expanding in future years. I think everyone would agree that Earth Day should be recognized in a big way every year.” – Peter Shapiro, Founder.

2008

In April 2008, [http://www.greenapplefestival.com Green Apple Festival] completed its third year, establishing itself as the world’s largest Earth Day celebration. Green Apple Festival took place in New York City, Washington DC, Miami, Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

On April 20, 2008, eight simultaneous events were held to observe Earth Day, with over 200,000 people attending in landmark venues: Central Park in New York, the National Mall in Washington DC, Bicentennial Park in Miami, Fair Park in Dallas, Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, City Park in Denver, Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, and Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles.

In addition, Green Apple Festival also presented 220 music shows in indoor music venues in the eight cities on April 18th and 19th. Each of the 110 venues where the shows took place and 475 performances themselves were made “green” through the use of environmentally sustainable paper, lighting and cleaning products.

On April 20, 2008, 68 non-profit organizations participated with booths and on-stage speaking including: A Cooler Planet

Alliance for Climate

Alliance for Climate Protection

Alliance to Save Energy

Arbor Foundation

ARCA Foundation

Architecture 2030

Balleys Fitness Center

Birambye International

Biscayne Nature Center

Blade Your Ride

Bombay Station

Campaign to Save the Roan Plateau

CCAN

Central Park Conservancy

Channel 9

Chicago Dept of the Environment

City of Miami

Clean Currents

Climate Cycle

Colorado Environmental Coalition

Common Cause

Common Grounds for Conservation

Conservation Value Institute

Cool Globes

Cool Solar

Cottonwood Institute

DC Dept of Public Works, Office of Recycling

Defenders of Wildlife

Denver Westword

DFW Urban Ecovillage

[http://www.earthday.net Earth Day Network]

Earth Island Institute

EarthJustice

Ecobike

Embassy of Switzerland

Environmental Awareness Society

Food and Water Watch

Food for Life Global

Foresight Design Initiative

Friends of the Earth

Global Education Charitable Foundation

Global Green

Go Tankless of Colorado

Goddard Institute for Space

Green Power Living

HeadCount

Heal the Bay

Hip Hop Caucus

ICLEI

Illinois Association for Music Therapy

Interfaith Environmental Alliance

International Indian Treaty Council

ISHA Foundation

Just vote Colorado

League of Conservation Voters

Leave No Trace Center of Outdoor Ethics

Like Minded people

Lincoln Park Zoo

Love Saves Foundation

Metro Denver Partners

Michelle’s Earth Foundation

Mile High Youth Corps

Namaste Solar

National Environmental Education Foundation

National Resource Defense Counsel

Nature's Voice, Our Choice

NRDC

Olympics

One Sky

Organic Consumers Association

Oxfam America

Piedmont Environmental Council

Planet Green

Planet Naturals

Project Kool

Rainforest Alliance

Raptors exhibit

ReDirect Guide

Revision International

Rock the Earth

San Francisco Green Party

Santa Monica Baykeeper

SF Dept of the Environment

Sierra Club

Sister's Pantry

South Florida Emerging Green Builders

Surfriders Foundation

Sustainable Dallas

The Climate Project

The Edge - Youth Green Education

The Learning Center Foundation

The Lung Connection

The Wilderness Society

Tree Media Group

Trees for the Future

US Green Building Council

Wildlife Society

Working Bikes Cooperative

95 “green” companies participated including:

Adventure Links

Alexandra Davila

American Custom Contractors

Ancient Pace

Arbor

ASF Trinity

Balleys Fitness Center

Burt's Bees

Cannabis Action Network

Chase Bank

Chicago Dept of the Environment

Chris Mazurek Recycled Garments

Clean Life Systems

Clif Bar

Coco Loco

Colorado Buffalo Grill

Dallas Observer

Dinosaur Tye Dyes

Direct Drive Service dba Go Tankless of Colorado

Discovery Channel

Discovery Creek

Dominick’s Safeway

Dream in Green

Early Development of Global Education Charitable Foundation

Eco Screen Printers

Ecoist

Ed Begley, Jr., Book signing

FedEx

Fifty Seven Thirty Three

First ACH

Frank Moore for President

Go Green Gift

Google

Green Earth Markets

Green Exchange

Green Floors

Green Grids Roof

Green Key Real Estate

Green Your

Horizon

HUVCO, LLC

IBM

iClips

JB Prouches

JPMorgan Chase

Kashi Company

KFOG

KJKK

LA Weekly

Le Sportsac

Maui Waui

Medis Technologies

Michele's Granola

Misty

Mountains of the Moon

MSD Biscayne Nature Center

My Green Cottage

MySpace

Native Energy

NoPal Apparel

Onyx

Planet Green

REC Solar

Ridesearch

Safeway Organics

SAIC

SF Weekly

Shaklee

Shining Mountain Herbs

Solar City

Solar Panels Plus

Soy Joy

Starbucks

Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association

Sustainable Design Group

Sustainable Living Road Show

Sweet Leaf Tea Company

Swirlspace Hempware/Design

Synergy Clothing

TCPi

Tetra Tech Inc

Totally Organic

Tree Girl

Treehugger

University of Miami

Urban Green Real Estate

USA Today

Washington Gas Energy Services

Wilderness Society

WXRT

Xango

You Deserve

Zip Car

Guest speakers and city officials spoke about environmental issues, including:

WASHINGTON DC

Rocky Anderson, Salt Lake City Mayor

Wendy Abrams, Cool Globes

Ed Begley, Jr., Actor and Environmental Activist

Chevy Chase, Comedian and Actor

Jayni Chase, Center for Environmental Education

Richard Cizik, National Association of Evangelicals

Donna Edwards, Activist

Wayne Gilchrest, Member of Congress (MD-1)

Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times

Jim Fuschetti, Chase

Jane Harmon, Member of Congress (CA-36)

David Hawkins, National Resource Defense Council's Climate Center

Denis Hayes, Organizer of the First Earth Day

Joe Holland, Olympic Skiing Medalist

Dr. James Hansen, NASA Climatologist and Columbia University Professor

Gene Karpinski, League of Conservation Voters

Edward Markey, Chair of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming (MA-7)

Ed Norton, Actor

Reginald “Flip” Hagood, Student Conservation Association, Inc.

Rosa Ramos and Marina Rikhavanova, Goldman Prize Winners

Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader

Kathleen Rogers, Earth Day Network

Peter Shapiro, Green Apple Festival

Rev. Yearwood, The Hip Hop Caucus

Cathy Zoi, Alliance for Climate Protection

NEW YORK

Steve Bernstein, Zenbu Media

Annabelle Gurwitch, Planet Green

Rick Lazio, Chase

CHICAGO

Kevin Bell, Lincoln Park Zoo

Bill Daley, Chase

Dick Durbin, Illinois Senator

Joey Feinstein, Climate Cycle

Suzanne Malec-McKenna, Commissioner of the Environment

Jodi Murphy, Planet Green

Kyle Orton, Chicago Bears

Daniel Sprehe, Chase Government Relations

Mike Quigley, Commissioner

Lee Ravenscroft, Working Bikes

MIAMI

Mark LaRoe, Chase

Nicole Sandler, Radio Personality

DALLAS

Elaine Agather, JPMorgan Private Bank

John Brecher, North Texas Auto Association

Andy Chandler, JACK FM Dallas

Judith Varga, Earth Day Network

Elba Garcia, Dallas Mayor Pro Tem

DENVER

Ron Boswick, Boulder International Film Fest

Dominique Foxworth, Denver Broncos

Carla Madison, Denver City Council

Sean Miller, Earth Day Network

Todd Munson, Chase

Michelle Weingarden, Green Print Denver

L.A.

Andy Cohen, JPMorgan Chase

Boise Thomas, Planet Green

Bobby Shriver, Santa Monica City Council

Amy Smart, Actor

SAN FRANCISCO

Peter Engel, JPMorgan

Jon Gelbard, Conservation Value

Randy Hayes, Founder, Rainforest Action Network

Mark Leno, California Assemblyman

Fiona Ma, California State Assembly

Bill McKibben, Author, Educator and Environmentalist

2008 performers Included:

The Roots & Friends

O.A.R.

Gov’t Mule

Toots & The Maytals

Thievery Corporation

Warren Haynes

Umphrey’s McGee

DC Boys Choir

City Dance Ensemble

Ricky Skaags & Kentucky Thunder

Big Head Todd & The Monsters

The Bacon Brothers

Vusi Mahlasela

Vienna Teng

Menudo

Arrested Development

Baby Loves Salsa

Caravan of Thieves

Dirty Dozen Brass Band

Bassnectar

Meshell Ndgeocello

Chicago Afrobeat Project

The Gwalla Gwallas

Miss Lori Holton Nash

The Neville Brothers

Benevento/Russo Duo

Rose Hill Drive

The Heyday

Jackie Greene

Los Lonely Boys

Martin Sexton

Junior Brown

Cas Haley

The Steps

George Stanford

Taj Mahal

Ziggy Marley

Juliette & the Licks

School of Rock Hollywood Allstars

The Frequency

Coby Brown

Mickey Hart’s Mass Drums

Tommy Lee (Motley Crue)

Yonder Mountain String Band

Citizen Cope

Brett Dennen

Joan Baez

Blake Lewis (American Idol)

2,994 Students and teachers participated with Earth Day Network in the Festival’s “School Greening Program” in New York, Chicago and Denver, which addressed air, water and lighting quality issues in the nation’s aging schools.

THE IMPORTANCE OF EARTH DAY:

Earth Day is the only event celebrated simultaneously around the globe by people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities. It is the world’s most widely observed non-religious holiday. More than a billion people participate in Earth Day every year.

Earth Day belongs to all people. It is not owned, trademarked or controlled by any ruling body. Green Apple Festival works in partnership with the nonprofit organization Earth Day Network, which grew out of the original Earth Day in 1970. Earth Day Network is the worldwide coordinating body for Earth Day.

CONTACT:

Green Apple Festival has offices at 104 West 29th St. 11th Floor, New York City, 10001. For more information, email [e-mail]

Past Events

2007

In 2007, The Green Apple Music & Arts Festival ran from April 20-22 in New York City, Chicago and San Francisco with over 200,000 in attendance and millions more reached through the media. Large-scale free public events were held in Central Park and on Vanderbilt Avenue outside Grand Central Terminal in New York, the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago and at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Green Apple partnered with Earth Day Network, the worldwide coordinating body for Earth Day events, campaigns and activities.

Free Performances in New York (estimated attendance: 15,000)Central Park: Laurie Berkner Band with Susie Lampert and Adam Bernstein, Brady Rymer and The Little Band that Could and Baby Loves Disco. Outside of Grand Central Terminal, Earth Day New York’s Earth Fair: (estimated attendance 100,000) Zero, Constant Wonder, State Radio, Assembly of Dust, Ozomatli, Grace Potter and The Nocturnals, Gandalf Murphy and The Slambovian Circus of Dreams, and The Paul Green School of Rock Allstars withJon Anderson of YES.

Free Performances at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo (estimated attendance: 40,000)
Umphrey's McGee, The Disco Biscuits, Todd Park Mohr (of Big Head Todd), Mad Professor, Paul Green’s School of Rock, The Blisters, Ella Jenkins and Deep Fried Pickle Project.

Free Performances at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park (estimated attendance: 25,000)Bob Weir & Ratdog, Stephen Marley featuring Jr. Gong, The Greyboy Allstars, Martin Sexton and Jonah Smith.

Greening

The Green Apple Music & Arts Festival put the Earth Day message into practice by “greening” all of the participating venues. Green Apple provided venues in each city with environmentally friendly cups and straws, napkins and paper towels made of recycled materials, compostable garbage bags and biodegradable cleaning materials. A goal of the Festival is to help establish long-term vendor relationships to encourage sustainable practices within venues and the music industry in general. In addition, the entire festival was made carbon neutral through the purchase of renewable energy certificates. Native Energy conducted an energy audit of the Festival and certified that the goal of being carbon neutral was met.

2007 Green Apple Performers

Performers at the Green Apple Music & Arts Festival are selected to appeal to a wide audience of adults of all ages and children. The below lists highlight many of the performers who have participated in the event:

New York- Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, Taylor Hicks, Tom Chapin, John Anderson, The Laurie Berkner Band, Junior Brown, Benevento/Russo Duo (Acoustic), Edwin McCain,John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Kaki King, Fat Mama, Tower of Power, Zero, Particle, The Radiators, Baby Loves Disco, Mahavishnu Project, Hot Buttered Rum, Raq, Tom Paxton and Richard Shindell, Jerry Joseph, Brand New, Zero, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Jake Shimabukuro,Avishai Cohen, Hiromi, Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, Ryan Montbleau, Over the Rhine, Cosmic Jibaros, The Bomb Squad, Mike Dillon's Go-Go Jungle, The Bridge, Jonny Lives, Phix and Brady Rymer

Chicago- The Decemberists, Kaiser Chiefs, Umphrey's McGee, The Disco Biscuits, The Smithereens, The Walkmen, Andrew Bird, RJD2, Mad Professor, The Del McCoury Band, Paul Green’s School of Rock, Flickerstick, JJ Grey and Mofro, Brothers Past, Hoyle Brothers,New Monsoon, Juice and the Machine, The Lost Trailers, Mono, Mark Farina, Anathallo, Soulwax, and 2Many DJs.

San Francisco- Willie Nelson, Bob Weir and Ratdog, Stephen and Damian Marley, Greyboy Allstars, Yonder Mountain String Band, Martin Sexton, The Walkmen, Trans Am, Tea Leaf Green, Railroad Earth, Electric Six, Newmaster Sounds, Everyone Orchestra, Girlyman, Akasha, The Drastics, DJ Scheme and Plan B, May Lake, Kite Flying Society, Black Taj, The Sippy Cups, The English Beat, The Plimsouls, Xiu Xiu and Smoosh.

Venues

Broad participation of music venues has been a hallmark of the Green Apple Music & Arts Festival and, according to the event producers, a key to its success. The venues benefit by getting free publicity and support for talent booking, as well as receiving complimentary "green" products for audiences and performers backstage.

"'2007 venues included:

In New York:14th St. Y, Ace of Clubs, The Beacon Theater, BB Kings, The Blue Note, Bowery Ballroom, Camaradas El Barrio, Canal Room, Central Park, Children's Museum of Manhattan, Crash Mansion, Fontanas, outside Grand Central Terminal (Vanderbilt Avenue), The Gramercy Theater, Housing Works Bookstore Café, Irving Plaza, Joe's Pub, Knitting Factory, Lions Den, Makor, Mercury Lounge, Mexicali Blues, New York Society for Ethical Culture, Nuyorican Poet’s Café, Rebel, Radio City Music Hall, SOB’s, Southpaw, Symphony Space.

In Chicago:Abbey Pub, alive One, The Beat Kitchen, The Cubby Bear, Schuba’s, Double Door, Elbo Room, The Empty Bottle, The House of Blues, Joe’s Bar, The Kinetic Playground, The Lincoln Park Zoo, Martyrs, The Metro, Old Town School of Folk Music, The Park West, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, The Riviera Theatre, The Store, Subterannean, The Tonic Room, The Vic, Victory Liquor, and the Wise Fools Pub

In San Francisco:12 Galaxies, 365 Club, Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center, Bimbo's Boom Boom Room, Bottom of the Hill, Cafe Du Nord, De Young Museum, Elbo Room, The Fillmore, Golden Gate Park, Knockout, Makeout Room, Mezzanine, Rooster's Roadhouse, Ruby Skye, Swedish American Hall, Sweetwater, Independent and Uptown Nightclub.

Volunteers:

Each year, volunteers have been encouraged to join the Green Apple Music & Arts Festival team. Volunteers assist staff in manning tables at music venue, distributing non-profit and sponsor information and helping with event set-up and deliveries. Over the course of 2006 and 2007, approximately 400 volunteers have joined the Green Apple team.

2006

The first annual Green Apple Music & Arts festival was held at over 35 venues in the New York City area and ran from April 20-23. On Thursday, April 20, The Sixth Annual Jammy Awards show (Jammys)at Madison Square Garden kicked off the festivities. Jammys performances included: Blues Traveler, Guster, Peter Frampton, Martin Sexton, Béla Fleck and The Flecktones, and many more. The festival concluded at The Ziegfeld Theatre with the world premiere of the film Wetlands Preserved directed by Relix senior editor and Jambands.com founder Dean Budnick and executive produced by Peter Shapiro. The documentary examines the social, political and musical history of the celebrated New York City rock club The Wetlands.

Environmental presenceThe entire event was made carbon neutral. Tabling occurred at each venue promoting ways to get involved in the environmental movement and artists like the Scissor Sisters made stage announcements reminding concert goers to live sustainably. Earth Fair featured booths from environmentally sound companies alongside talent provide by GAMAF.

PerformersScissor Sisters, Antibalas, Assembly of Dust, Avail, Baaba Maal,Dan Bern, Blues Traveler, Björkestra, Cary Brothers, Amy Correia, The Deedle Deedle Dees, Deep Banana Blackout, The Dirty Sock Funtime Band, Mike Doughty, The Dresden Dolls, DJ Equal, The Fab Faux, Béla Fleck & The Flecktones, Bill Frissell, Gabrielle and Dresden, Ghostface, Guster, Mickey Hart, Richie Havens, Islands, Etta James, The Steve Kimock Band, Kaki King, Bill Kreutzmann, Grateful Dead archivist David Lemeiux, Little Feat, Mad Professor, Main Squeeze Orchestra, Stephen and Ky-Mani Marley, Max Creek, Milkshake, Ryan Montbleau, Murray Hill, Charlie Musselwhite, Mutaytor, Dr. Nebula’s Planetary Vacation, The New York Philharmonic, Nouvelle Vague (band), Particle, Yosi Piamenta and the Heavenly Jams Band, Perpetual Groove, Josh Radin, Rose Hill Drive, Martin Sexton, Slick Rick, The Slip, Jonah Smith, Soulive, Strangefolk, Ben Taylor, Toots & The Maytals, Toubab Krewe, Umphrey's McGee, and Zen Tricksters

2006 and 2007 Sponsors and Partners

Corporate sponsors of the Green Apple Music & Arts Festival have included JPMorgan Chase, Tropicana, Saturn,Target Corporation, Vonage, Clif Bar, Whole Foods, Rough Guides and Sonicbids.

Partners and media sponsors include Lime.com, Tree Hugger, Onyx Distribution, Zip Car, Green Order, ["Native"Energy] http://www.nativeenergy.com, Conservation Value, imeem, JamBase, Time Out New York, Time Out Chicago, WABC-TV, WXRT, SF Weekly, Q104.3, and WFUV, Earth Day New York, The Central Park Conservancy and the Lincoln Park Zoo.

External links

* [http://www.greenapplefestival.com Green Apple Festival official site]
* [http://www.earthday.net Earth Day Network official site]
* [http://www.zenbumedia.com Zenbu Media official site]
* [http://www.relix.com Relix Magazine official site]