What festival had George Porter Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners, Ivan Neville & Friends, Camile Baudoin & Friends, and the Trombone Shorty Academy all perform in one day?
Bridge House/Grace House Sober Fest on Nov. 18 at the Sugar Mill.
Sober Fest is part of a special mission for Bridge House/Grace House.
“A typical fear of sobriety is being excluded from social events because the presence of alcohol and/or drugs may make attending particularly challenging. Not being able to socialize in ways you are used to can be especially difficult for someone newly in recovery,” said Stephanie Clary, director of development and the festival director.
“In a city like New Orleans, there’s no better example of this than music-oriented events such as festivals. Bridge House/Grace House was established with the belief that sustaining sobriety requires fulfilling basic needs, and this includes a safe space for entertainment; we wanted the opportunity to show that recovery is not only attainable, but also enjoyable.”
Sober Fest was the result, said Clary.
In addition, a short portion of the festival was set aside for a Memorial Ceremony, which asked for a moment of silence for those lost to the disease of addiction, as well as acknowledge the Memorial Wall, which featured names submitted ahead of the festival or written on that day of their loved ones who had passed away from addiction.
A Resource Expo was also on hand where nonprofits and providers offered recovery, addiction, health, and/or mental illness support services.
Fun Fact: For the second year in a row, 1 Million Strong and The Phoenix hosted a wellness tent offering attendees an opportunity to learn more about The Phoenix’s local programming and volunteer opportunities in the New Orleans area. This is the same group that now hosts a sober tent at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.