The 8th annual SnowGlobe Music Festival got underway in South Lake Tahoe on Saturday, December 29, and a large crowd enjoyed top musical artists, beautiful winter weather, and all that Tahoe South has to offer. An estimated 20,000 visitors are expected to attend the three-day music festival this weekend.
City staff have been working around the clock to help promote a safe and successful event, and to help mitigate community impacts associated with the festival. Highlights of the first day include:
· South Lake Tahoe Police Department reports that the first day (from 2 pm – 10 pm) was perhaps the smoothest single day for SnowGlobe since the event was initiated in 2011. There were no significant problems or issues of any kind, and only 1 arrest was made during the event’s first day. The 2017 event included 13 arrests on the first day.
· RockMed, the event’s medical services crew, treated 23 patients at their on-site facility for various issues. This was a sharp decrease from 2017’s first day, which included 56 patients treated, and is the fewest number of patients ever treated in one day at SnowGlobe.
· Event organizers and City staff conducted continuous monitoring of sound levels at the perimeter of the event venue, and generally recorded decibel readings in the 70 – 85 decibel range, which are within stipulated permit requirements.
· There were a total of 33 complaints (from 24 different individuals) received via the City’s telephone hotline and online complaint form. The majority of the complaints (29 total) were associated with spillover noise from the musical performances, and City staff responded to all complaints with return phone calls and/or in-person visits. The 29 noise complaints is a slightly higher number than the first day of the 2017 event, when 25 noise complaints were received.
· Event organizers and City staff have reviewed sound data from the first day of the event, and are working cooperatively to make adjustments to hopefully reduce noise impacts on nearby neighborhood residential neighborhoods during day 2 and day 3 of the event.
· Event organizers have placed a high priority on trash collection, and crews worked diligently throughout the first day and several hours after the performances ended last night to remove all litter associated with the event.
Numerous local partners, including Lake Tahoe Community College, El Dorado County Sheriff, California Highway Patrol, STPUD, and others have worked closely with the City and event organizers, and the City greatly appreciates the strong spirit of cooperation among all parties.
Day 2 is currently underway, with performances from 2 pm - 10 pm. Day 3 includes a New Year’s Eve celebration, with performances beginning at 3 pm and continuing through 12:45 am. The City’s efforts to promote a safe and successful event will continue throughout the remainder of SnowGlobe.
To report concerns about SnowGlobe please call 530-542-6001 or submit an online complaint form at http://cityofslt.us/FormCenter/SnowGlobe-7/Snowglobe-Complaint-Form-45 .
To view real-time sound level measurements at the event venue and daily decibel readings, please visit http://www.cityofslt.us/699/SnowGlobe .
Thank you to all of the SnowGlobe attendees for visiting South Lake Tahoe, and thank you to our residents for your patience and understanding during this significant special event!