Festival benefiting Grand Isle restoration moving to B.R.

A festival benefiting restoration efforts in Grand Isle is making its first foray into Baton Rouge this summer. The Uplifting the Coast Festival will be held at the Baton Rouge Fairgrounds on Airline Highway over the weekend of June 8-10. Scheduled performers include Louisiana’s own LeRoux, Voodoo Bayou, The Producers and other acts. There will also be local arts-and-crafts vendors, a silent auction, a classic car show, and rides and games. Admission is $5. All proceeds from the festival will go toward preservation of Grand Isle and the surrounding coast. The festival has been held for the past two years at the Bridge Side Marina in Grand Isle. Festival organizer Libby Foret says the move reflects increasing demand. “There’s lots of potential here, a much better opportunity to grow,” she says of the Baton Rouge location. In its first year, the concert drew 2,000 people and raised $12,000. Last year, attendance doubled to 4,000 and generated about $14,000. Foret says the festival can accommodate as many as 18,000 to 20,000 this year. “I don’t know what to expect, because this is our first time here. I’d like to see that many,” she says. Foret says she’s driven by personal memories to put on the festival and help preserve the coast; her family owns property on Grand Isle. And she worries about long-term effects of recurrent storms on the residents and marshland, as well as the effects of oil pollution on the ecosystem and the local seafood industry. “It would be a shame to lose it,” she says. The festival is looking for volunteers. Get all the details at its website here. —Ian McGibboney