ROTHBURY

July 3-6, 2008, Rothbury, MI
Headcount: 50,000

Fave Five: Dave Matthews Band, Widespread Panic, Phil Lesh and Friends, Snoop Dogg, Michael Franti and Spearhead. (Plus, for all you undiscovered readers secretly seeking stardom, Rothbury’s Big Gig Open Mic Stage offers fans their fair share of the spotlight — hopefuls, apply in advance online.)

The Vibe: With an expansive property adorned with beachfront lakes and horses, the woodsy charm will be “much more like summer camp than a concert,” according to eco-event planner Sarah Haynes. Whereas concert goers usually feel shuttled about like cattle, the Rothbury grounds offer enough room for visitors to choose their own adventures, or, if they so desire, to sneak off into the nearest forest with a hammock for a nap. And where other than Rothbury’s Yoga Program can you get into down dog with special guest stars like Amanda Palmer of Dresden Dolls?

Unique to Rothbury: On this Independence Day weekend, the Rothbury Think Tank — a mix of scientists, scholars, progressive political and corporate leaders, entertainers and fans — will be busy thinking into reality a New Independence Day, the day America no longer relies on fossil fuels. Other highlights include truly accessible water refill stations, 9,000 personal ashtrays made from recycled materials and fallen trees carved into seating. A must see: Conscious Alliance will attempt to set a new world record in the Guinness Book of World Records for the “World’s Largest Canned Food Sculpture,” generating about 40,000 cans of food to be donated locally. When purchasing your ticket, opt for either the $3 (to offset your travel) or the $7 Green Ticket (to offset your travel and contribute to the Solar Schools Program).




HIGH SIERRA

July 3-July 6, 2008, Quincy, CA
Headcount: 8, 5000

Fave Five: Bob Weir & Rat Dog, Gov’t Mule, Charlie Hunter Trio, Built to Spill, Mike Gordon

The Vibe: Debbie Crocket, the festival’s Artists Relations Manager, says High Sierra’s down-home, communal feel gives the event “a family reunion vibe. A lot of people return year after year — we call them High-Sierra Faithful.”

Unique to High Sierra: In effort to close the loop, last year, a festival-goer converted vegetable oil into biodiesel right on site, using food vendor’s cooking grease to help eco-power the festival. HS’s composting program is so grassroots, local farmers literally load up their pickups with food scraps at the end of the weekend.

 

LOLLAPALOOZA

August 1-3, 2008, Grant Park, Chicago, IL
Headcount: 225,000

Fave Five: Black Keys, Radiohead, Broken Social Scene, Kanye West, Rage Against the Machine.

The Vibe: Held in Grant Park, framed by the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan, this festival attracts Chicagoans from near and far who come to take in the tunes and experience the city at its best.

Unique to Lollapalooza: Be sure to visit Green Street, the festival’s eco-education destination, where you can absorb some acoustic tunes in the laid back environment of Unplugged On the Green. Biodiesel generators will power all light towers on site, food vendors will provide vegetarian and vegan options, and all leftovers will go to a local food pantry. Fans can offset their travel during ticket purchase or onsite by buying a specially designed Lollapalooza Be Green fan tag, and the iTunes giveaways (free downloads of songs from select artists) have been converted from plastic to corn. Last years signs have been reclaimed and revamped into tote bags as gifts for sponsors, and all sponsors have been urged to refrain from passing out printed materials.