As many as 15,000 people are expected to attend this year's SnowGlobe Music Festival, each of the next three days. The event started Monday, and ends after midnight of New Year's Day, with people coming in from far-away places like Africa, Japan, and Australia to hear a variety of artists.
"We have people coming from all over the globe, at this point," Chad Donnelly, Founder of SnowGlobe Music Festival said. "The amount of interest in this particular destination is now becoming that much more rampant throughout our fanbase."
While the event is fun for many people, it's also been a point of contention for locals. Some residents complain about the loud music, echoing into their neighborhoods. Event organizers and city officials say they are hoping to keep the music at a level that is acceptable for everyone, but that might be easier said than done. Â
"The snow absorbs some of the sound and we've noticed a marked difference in complaints when there's snow present," Chief Brian Uhler, South Lake Tahoe Police Department said. "Unfortunately, this year, we don't have a lot of snow. So, we're expecting a lot of complaints to come in."
The snow may not be a factor, but city officials say freezing temperatures could be dangerous for people that aren't prepared. 19-year-old Alyssa Byrne died of hypothermia, after leaving the music festival, in the early morning hours of January 1, 2013. The City has a transportation plan, including 45 buses to get people to and from the event, safely. More than 100 people are staffed for security, and the South Lake Tahoe Police Department has uniformed and undercover officers to help reduce illegal drug use. The Fire Department will help with medical treatment, among other things.
"We'll have crews on-site, this evening and the next several days, to monitor the safety of the tents, of the wind, and we'll be particularly concerned about hypothermia and cold weather injuries," Chief Jeff Meston, South Lake Tahoe Fire Department said.
Studies show that the SnowGlobe Music Festival generates $9 million in economic impact for South Lake Tahoe. Restaurants see an uptick in business, and hotels like Inn By The Lake are near capacity through New Year's Day. Â
"Every year, it seems to be increasing a little bit more," Jeremy Agnew, Manager of Inn By The Lake and Tahoe Bowl said. "So, this year, it really helped out. It helped us pick up probably half of our room nights, here, from SnowGlobe."
