Questions, controversy ahead of Orange Crush Festival in Jacksonville Beach

Jacksonville Beach, Fla. — A controversial beach party is making it’s way to the Jacksonville area in a few months.

For the past 10 years, the Orange Crush Festival has been held near Savannah on Tybee Island, but organizers say they plan to relocate the multi-day event this year due to “civil rights violations and political injustices.” The festival is now tentatively scheduled for the weekend of June 18 – 20.

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It is an event many young people from all over the country look forward to each year, specifically African American college students. Tybee Police estimated crowds can swell to up to 15,000 people on peak years.

During its years at Tybee Island, Orange Crush drew criticism for heavy drinking, and arrests related to guns and drugs.

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Earlier this week, Jacksonville Beach Mayor, Chris Hoffman, told Action News Jax’s Courtney Cole that while she knows festival organizers plan to move the event to the Beaches, permits have not been filed.

“We’d love to work with them and to have it, you know to make sure we have a safe, as safe and as fun event as possible. But unfortunately they’re just not going through proper channels at this time. So we’re going to do our homework and be ready, " Hoffman said.

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Jacksonville Beach Police Chief Gene Paul Smith said in a news release that the event promoter “has not been willing to communicate with our organization about the event.”

Smith said all three Beaches cities -- Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach and Neptune Beach -- are coordinating messaging, planning and responses to the event and are working with local, state, and federal agencies.

Cox Media Group