It’s being billed as the South’s first green festival. I actually know of a few others that have rightfully taken the label, but still I like what I am hearing about the Echo Project. The event—October 12-14—is a multi-band festival that will take place on 350 private acres of the Bouckaert Farm just outside of Atlanta. It’s a high-profile bash, featuring The Killers, Phil Lesh and Friends, Michael Franti, and much more.

But there is also an eco-friendly message behind the music. The festival takes place on the banks of the Chattahoochee River, and organizers are also going to make an impact before they even arrive by mobilizing thousands of volunteers to clean up the notoriously polluted waterway. Sponsors—including Rivers Alive and Sustainable Waves—will help lead the clean-up effort. The festival will also be powered solely with alternative energy, and it promises to take into consideration waste management and habitat restoration. I think the organizers are sincere in saying that they want to make sure the “local environment is made better for having had us there.” When it comes to festivals, that would be a first. www.the-echoproject.com. —Jedd Ferris