Latest news with #OrangeCrushFestival
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Final Orange Crush meeting today; volunteers needed
TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (WSAV) – One of the most talked-about spring-break festivals in the southeast is heading to Tybee Island this weekend, but it hasn't been without its fair share of controversy. The Orange Crush Festival started in 1988 as a spring break event for Savannah State University students. It now draws thousands of people, mainly from historically black colleges and universities, to Tybee Island. The multi-day event includes concerts, block parties, talent shows, and contests. While Savannah State originally sponsored it, it became an independent event, sparking several issues. Last year, Tybee Island reported 54 arrests and 111 traffic citations during Orange Crush weekend. The first day saw multiple drug arrests, including the arrest of three people after finding marijuana, edibles, mushroom candy, and over five grand in cash during a traffic stop. In another case, a driver ran off after being pulled over near Highway 80. Officers used PepperBall's to try to get him out from under a house, but he got away. With the event now permitted, organizers are working with the city to keep things safe and organized. Today, there is a final meeting to lay out plans and call for volunteers to help make it all possible. Barricades are already in place for a crowded weekend ahead. Now, roads along the Island will remain open throughout the week, but this is just one of the many steps the city is taking to prepare. Another where you could help by stepping in: a beach cleaning volunteer. This year, the event is being reimagined with a focus on safety, cleanup, and of the permit requires the organizers to clean the beach, but they'll likely need extra why volunteers are being called on to help Saturday night, starting at 7 p.m., to prepare for Easter services. Those who help will get a festival t-shirt, brunch, and an all-access pass. With added lighting and more organization, this year the City hopes to keep both the party and the beach in good shape. 'Part of the permit requires them to provide beach cleanup, but we feel they will probably need help. So, anyone that wants to come down and volunteer at night, we are going to have the beach lighted up so we can see everything, and we want to make sure that everything is cleaned up because we are going to have sunrise services here Sunday morning,' explained Mayor Brian West, the Mayor of Tybee Island. Those interested in helping to keep the beaches clean, click here for more details on the festival, or for employment opportunities for the festival. You can sign up to be a volunteer, but signing up specifically to be a volunteer for beach cleanup isn't required. Everyone is welcome to show up as they are to pitch in. If you want to come help after Saturday, you can reach out to Tybee Clean Beach Volunteers, as they also hold events where you can help. Click to learn more about Tybee Clean Beach. The city will hold its final Orange Crush meeting today at 11 a.m. WSAV will bring you updates later today from that meeting. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Orange Crush 2025: Popular Georgia vacation town approves return of crime-filled beach fest
Tybee Island, Georgia, plans to welcome back the controversial "Orange Crush" music festival in April, so long as the organizers agree to meet certain conditions. "Thanks for your interest in the 2025 Orange Crush Festival!" a post on the Orange Crush Instagram page reads. "We're thrilled to announce that for the first time in decades, we are fully permitted and ready to celebrate April 18-20." The event previously came to the popular Georgia beach town but without official permits issued by the city. It has also built a reputation for creating security and trash issues on the island. The Tybee Island City Council on Jan. 26 sent a conditional letter of approval to Orange Crush organizer Steven Smalls, saying that the city will issue a special events permit to the festival after "all conditions" listed in the letter "have been addressed to the satisfaction" of local government leaders. Popular Georgia Beach Town Overrun By 'Orange Crush' Fighting, Chaos, Video Shows Conditions that need to be met include event timing and placement requirements to "coordinate municipal services"; assuring "the preservation of public property"; preventing dangerous and unlawful behavior; ensuring people's safety at the event; and planning for traffic control, among other conditions. Read On The Fox News App If the "scope, intensity, location, type or size of the event" deviates from the city's requirements, permit approval will be retracted. Crime On College Campuses Spikes After Decade Of Steady Decline As Students Fear For Safety "Orange Crush Festival 2025 is bringing nothing but HEAT this year," a Thursday announcement on the festival's Facebook page reads, adding that this year's event will be "the BIGGEST Orange Crush Festival yet!" "You already know it's about to be legendary!" the post reads. Police, Gunman Exchange Fire In Hotel After Phony 'Murder' Confession, Bodycam Shows Last year, the event came to Tybee without an official permit. Videos from the festival shared on social media showed violent brawls, women throwing haymakers and wrestling with each other, and piles of trash growing on the beach. Road Rage Shooting Caps Georgia '23 Spring Break Chaos At Tybee Island In the early 1990s, Orange Crush had a reputation for being a wild, crime-filled weekend, and Savannah State University disassociated with the event in 1991 because of the high number of arrests and reports of violence. READ THE CONDITIONAL LETTER OF APPROVAL. MOBILE USERS Click Here Two years ago, the event moved to Jacksonville, Florida, "due to lack of resources, limited parking, civil rights violations and political injustices," according to a June 2021 story on which cited the event's website. The website has since been taken down. The event returned to Tybee Island in 2023 for the first time since 2020. Fox News Digital's Chris Eberhart and Bonny Chu contributed to this report. Original article source: Orange Crush 2025: Popular Georgia vacation town approves return of crime-filled beach fest
Fox News
13-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Orange Crush 2025: Popular Georgia vacation town approves return of crime-filled beach fest
Tybee Island, Georgia, plans to welcome back the controversial "Orange Crush" music festival in April, so long as the organizers agree to meet certain conditions. "Thanks for your interest in the 2025 Orange Crush Festival!" a post on the Orange Crush Instagram page reads. "We're thrilled to announce that for the first time in decades, we are fully permitted and ready to celebrate April 18-20." The event previously came to the popular Georgia beach town but without official permits issued by the city. It has also built a reputation for creating security and trash issues on the island. The Tybee Island City Council on Jan. 26 sent a conditional letter of approval to Orange Crush organizer Steven Smalls, saying that the city will issue a special events permit to the festival after "all conditions" listed in the letter "have been addressed to the satisfaction" of local government leaders. Conditions that need to be met include event timing and placement requirements to "coordinate municipal services"; assuring "the preservation of public property"; preventing dangerous and unlawful behavior; ensuring people's safety at the event; and planning for traffic control, among other conditions. If the "scope, intensity, location, type or size of the event" deviates from the city's requirements, permit approval will be retracted. "Orange Crush Festival 2025 is bringing nothing but HEAT this year," a Thursday announcement on the festival's Facebook page reads, adding that this year's event will be "the BIGGEST Orange Crush Festival yet!" "You already know it's about to be legendary!" the post reads. Last year, the event came to Tybee without an official permit. Videos from the festival shared on social media showed violent brawls, women throwing haymakers and wrestling with each other, and piles of trash growing on the beach. In the early 1990s, Orange Crush had a reputation for being a wild, crime-filled weekend, and Savannah State University disassociated with the event in 1991 because of the high number of arrests and reports of violence. READ THE CONDITIONAL LETTER OF APPROVAL. MOBILE USERS CLICK HERE Two years ago, the event moved to Jacksonville, Florida, "due to lack of resources, limited parking, civil rights violations and political injustices," according to a June 2021 story on which cited the event's website. The website has since been taken down. The event returned to Tybee Island in 2023 for the first time since 2020.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Orange Crush receives ‘conditional approval'
TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (WSAV) — The City of Tybee Island has issued a 'Conditional Letter of Approval' for Orange Crush, an event that has drawn controversy for months. The city said that the purpose of the Conditional Letter of Approval is to grant the applicant the approval to move forward with the planning of the event under certain conditions. A Special Event Permit can be issued by the city as long as everything in the letter is addressed. Once the special permit is issued, the organizers can hold the Orange Crush Festival. 'Failure to comply with all conditions, or any violation of law prior to the event will result in the denial of the Special Event Permit and therefore immediate cancellation of the event and possibly denial of future events, fines, and/or criminal prosecution,' the city said in the letter. 'If during the planning of the approved event, the scope, intensity, location, type, or size of event deviates significantly from the information provided by the applicant this conditional letter of approval will no longer be valid.' Conditional Requirements for 'Orange Crush Festival' include: One day event to be held on April 19th, 2025, from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. It must be concluded no later than 10 p.m. No additional event programming, entertainment or activity outside of the schedule approved by the city is permitted, and the final entertainment schedule must be approved by the City by April 1, 2025. Must only use approved areas. Approved event beach area will be north of the Tybee Island Pier & Pavilion located between the City's 15th Street and 15th ½ Street dune crossovers. Public Beach Access Dune Crossovers must remain open and unobstructed at alltimes. Letter of Permission from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) must be given for the use of a stage. The applicant shall be responsible for providing additional trash and waste receptacles toaccommodate for the additional event attendees at all times. They must also beresponsible for emptying all trash and waste receptacles in the event area at all times. The applicant shall clean the entire event space immediately following the event. A preand post event evaluation of the entire event space will be performed to determine anynecessary clean-up or repair costs. A list of proposed vendors and their vendor information must be provided to the city. The event organizer is required to communicate if any arrangements are made with athird party regarding a shuttle service or alternate parking arrangements upon initialagreement with said party. The designated area for the stage in the approved event location areas shall be allowed touse amplified sound in the form of music until 8 p.m. Provide a certificate of insurance demonstrating adequate liability coverage for the eventwith a policy limit of no less than $1,000,000.00 naming the City of Tybee Island as anadditional insured and certificate holder. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
