Day 1 was hot. Day 2 was dusty. And there were enough Amy-Winehouse-inspired hairdos to sink a ship. Our feet hurt, our foreheads are burnt to a crisp, we’ve got indentations on our noses from wearing sunglasses so much, a serious nap is in order and it’s going to take more than one shower to fully recuperate, but the second annual Virgin Festival delivered on its promises of good bands, ecological responsibility, copious amenities and more.
We noted it last year, but it must be said again: Richard Branson puts on a hell of a festival. Oppressive heat aside, V Fest couldn’t have been more accommodating. Vendors, ATMs and restrooms, and V Fest volunteers and workers were everywhere, and in no short supply. A lot of thought was put into every choice the organizers made, and it showed. We never had to wait in a long line, despite the 40,000+ person crowd. And even though a bud light cost $8, it was a great big cup. A certain amount of captive audience gouging is par for the course at any event, but we didn’t feel ripped off by any of the vendors. Delicious shrimp on a stick for $5? Sign us up.
Nobody that went to this year’s festival left without learning a few things about environmental consciousness. The program guide informed us that an average festival of this size produces about 192,000 pounds of landfill waste. To get that number closer to zero, there were 50 “waste reclamation stations” around the venue, each with compost, recycling and landfill bins, and volunteers to tell you which receptacle your trash went in (it’s worth noting that those volunteers were very well educated on the subject and willing to answer questions and engage in conversation). Cups, utensils and even garbage bags were made from compostable corn, all paper products were made from recycled material, all inks were soy-based, all energy was solar, wind or bio-diesel, and public transportation was encouraged. They even got festival-goers involved with the green efforts by rewarding people who collected empty bottles and cans with prizes from band merch to iPod speakers.
Photos by Kyle Gustafson. More photos after the jump.
