There’s a new festival coming to New Orleans this weekend that flies in the face of what the city is traditionally known for. Sober Fest is a new festival aimed at promoting sobriety and sober living in the city. For those struggling with addiction, this event offers music and entertainment along with alcohol-free beverages and a sober-supportive environment. There will be mocktails and other alcohol-free beverages served. The event kicks off on Saturday, November 23 and will feature local food trucks serving favorites from the region as well. Southerns, Brocato’s Kitchen, Cochon King BBQ, Voleo’s Seafood, and many more will be at the event slinging local favorites for all in attendance.
Kevin Gardere, CEO of Bridge House, says the decision to create a festival focused on sober living specifically in New Orleans (a city known for quite the opposite) was intentional. ”It was definitely intentional. We are definitely known as a party city, and whenever you have a strong party culture you generally have a large recovery community. That’s definitely true in New Orleans,” Gardere explains. “We started this because we wanted to let people know, especially those in recovery, that not only is sobriety possible … it can also be fun,” he adds.
Proceeds from every ticket, beverage, and merch sale at the event (along with every donation and sponsorship made) benefits local, long-term substance use disorder treatment programs. These programs are offered to those in need of treatment regardless of their ability to pay. CEO Kevin Gardere came through Bridge House’s system himself years ago, and now runs the operation himself. This gives him a unique perspective from both sides of sobriety. Sober Fest was his brainchild, knowing the alienation that can come from trying to be social while also staying sober. “Early in recovery, for most people, your brain is spinning 1,000 mph and you have no idea what tomorrow or even the next hour is going to look like. You feel like you lost your best friend in your drug or drink of choice, but that isn’t the case,“ Gardere explains.
2023's Sober Fest was able to raise enough money to treat 707 predominantly homeless, indigent, uninsured (or under-insured) and unemployed individuals in need of assistance. They’re hoping that with the public’s help this year, they’ll be able to aim even higher. “60% of our budget at Bridge House is from donations,” Gardere says. “We have special events to raise money here. We had a march for recovery and had a couple hundred people come out. Our previous CEO always wanted to do a festival, and when I saw the turnout of that event, I thought to myself ‘I really think we could pull it off’ and it started from there.” Gardere explains that much of the impetus for the festival revolved around how dangerous the classic festival atmosphere can be for those trying to transition to sobriety. There are so many triggers between drugs and alcohol, that it can be hard to feel like you’re able to partake if you’re trying to maintain a sober lifestyle. This event was specifically aimed to give a safe, understanding space where those in recovery can enjoy some live music and good food in the type of space that might typically trigger an urge to relapse.
Those interested in attending or volunteering can find more information at https://www.bridgehouse.org/events/soberfest/ where you’ll find a list of vendors, acts, and ways you can help the foundation. The event goes down at the Sugar Mill on November 23rd.