It takes strong partnerships, said Kassie Hilgert, to keep the nation’s largest free music festival tidy and litter to a minimum. “It’s a true partnership — with the city, volunteers and staff trying to keep the festival grounds as clean as possible,” said Hilgert, CEO of ArtsQuest. “And I would give a shout out to the attendees, too, who do their best to make sure trash gets in the trash can.”
In its 40th year, Musikfest attracts tens of thousands of people to the city each day during its 10-day run. While the fest’s iconic – and reusable – mug has made a significant dent in the amount of trash attendees could create over the years, and the recent elimination of paper tickets for food and beverages has driven down waste further, officials said they’re continuously working to lessen the event’s impact on the environment.
“We have almost 500 volunteers a day, sometimes on site at Musikfest, and they’re doing everything from running platzes to emptying garbage cans,” Hilgert said. “ … We always get really dedicated volunteers that are passionate about making sure the festival grounds are neat and the trash cans are emptied.”