Just a few weeks before Orange Crush returns to Tybee Island, this time as a allowed event, the city organized another press conference on April 2 to address the planned public safety procedures.
Two weeks ago, for the first time in 30 years, the city of Tybee Island issued organizers Orange Crush allowed a special permit from 9:00 to 20:00, April 1, for the area of the beach north of the pier. The press conference on Tuesday morning was one of the two conferences that the city must outline various logistical aspects of the event, according to the manager of Brett Bell.
“Everyone will be affected by this event,” Bell said. “I just want to be clear in this regard. There will be traffic problems, we will have an overwhelming presence of law enforcement until the weekend … It will be a smoother operation than last year. It will not be perfect, there will be a level of unpredictability, because we do not know how many people will come.”
Bell added that the number one priority for the city and the organizers is public safety, and if the events do not take place as well as they are anticipated, they will make adjustments and will make it different next year.
For those who live in or around the island, here’s everything you need to know about Orange Crush 2025.
What is Orange Crush?
Historically, Orange Crush was the biggest unrequited event in Tybee. The event began on the island in 1988 as a meeting and sponsored by the students of Savannah State University. But, in 1991, after a dozen arrests, a stab and drowning it, the school cut the connections with the organizers.
The assembly, which was marketed first and foremost to the historical colleges and universities (HBCU), worked without a permit, despite the attempts to get them – so far. The festival is a tradition that has been kept alive by the word of the moon. For some SSU students, Orange Crush is like a second spring break; For students, it’s another house.
How was Orange Crush allowed this year?
In December 2024, Orange Crush Traymark Holder and founder of Jacksonville Orange Crush Festival George Ransom Turner III has submitted an authorization application. The original proposal submitted by Turner and Steven Smalls, one of the co-organizers, requested a three-day beach festival, with several stages on the beach, several suppliers of food and entertainment and many more.
Through conversations, the city and organizers agreed to limit the festival to a single day on the beach, April 19, with a single stage. At the end of January, the city issued a letter of conditional approval for the event, with four main requirements for full approval:
- Employing 20 Security officers certified by Georgia police officers and offer the city their certification numbers
- Complete the Ambulance Service on the island with a second ambulance with EMTS on board
- Secured civil liability insurance cover with a policy limit of no less than $ 1 million appointing the city as an additional insured and certificate holder
- Give a sanitation plan.
The organizers met all these conditions until March 19, so the city issued a letter of approval.
Orange Crush will take place from 9:00 to 20:00 Saturday, April 19th.
How will Orange Crush be structured this year?
The festival will have only one scene, established right in the south of the Burke crossover on 14 1/2, with beach chairs and shadows available for rent. There will be a sellers tent to sell water and events, such as shirts and hats. External sellers are not allowed on the beach.
There will also be interpreters DJ throughout the day and a VIP tent.
There are events promoted in Savannah and South Carolina for Friday and Sunday, with sales tickets. There are no tickets sold for access to the beach on April 19, apart from the VIP tent.
What public safety measures will be in effect?
Although the permit is issued for a day, the Tybee Island police department is preparing for the complete weekend to be busy, according to the chief Tiffany Hayes. The officers for the application of the additional law will arrive on the island on Thursday afternoon.
The Georgia State Patrol Motor Division, State Arson investigators, Chatham County’s Șerveriff and Sheriff’s department in Mcintos County will arrive on the island on Thursday. The additional units from the GSP, including their canine unit and the SWAT team, will also be there as well as the Rangers Natural Resource Department for a total of about 150 officers on the island for the event.
“We will start working this event on Friday morning,” Hayes said. “In addition, you will see road safety control points and have them throughout the weekend.”
As the events are approaching, Hayes said they will announce the data for road safety control points. The pier will be closed for the safety of the officers, for the DNR and the state arson investigators, who will work on the beach. The Sheriff’s Department of Chatham County will be in the neighborhoods to keep them “safe,” Hayes said.
Tipd also asked the promoters to add another 20 officers to apply the state certified law to their permit and 10 security agents, who were deleted by the Department. They will cover the beach in the allowed area of Burke’s crossover to the dig.
How will traffic and parking work?
The configuration of the island will be similar to last year, with a limited parking. Both parking lots near the pier will be closed, as well as the street parking along some parts of Butler Ave. Those who come to the island are encouraged to do Carpool, and the organizers said that, at a previous press conference, that they are trying to realize the transport of the shuttle.
Any illegal parked vehicles on public property will be towed.
The central strips in the entire island will be closed for an emergency tape.
The engine compliance will be on the band of the Emergency Center, keeping vehicles that are not urgent on the central band, so that the law enforcement and EMS will be able to receive from the call to the call.
How much does Tybee Island cost for Orange Crush?
Tybee Island approved a change in its budget to spend up to $ 215,000 for security measures on the island, as they did last year. Most of the expenses is for operational costs, such as overtime for law enforcement officers, personal, gas, housing and food. Additional costs include Port-A-Potties, parking barriers and fences for a towing yard.
What happened during Orange Crush Weekend 2023?
In a press release that year, Tybee Island said that the large volume of people, estimated to count over 100,000 people in a three-day weekend, caused traffic accidents, road anger, agglomeration and complaints around drugs and alcohol, noise, illegal parking.
Ten car accidents took place between lunch and 10 PM, on two American Hwy 80 East, which is the only road on and outside Tybee. In one of these accidents seven people were injured, According to previous reports by Savannah Morning News.
Adam Bauer was arrested by the Police in Chatham County in a roadfrading on April 22, 2023, And a person of the six who were in the car suffered a wound that does not endanger life. There were reports of eyewitnesses about someone who blinked a weapon and firearms. Emergency vehicles could also not pass due to traffic jam.
What will Tybee Island do if the event doesn’t work as planned?
If there is a promoter promoting an event related to Orange Crush, which has not been approved by the Tybee Local Council, they could recover the costs through SB 443, which would allow Tybee to go after social media promoters for the costs incurred for unrefined events. Bell said in a December interview that they have not used this authority until now to go after anyone.
He said that during the press conference on Tuesday that, based on the data collected from this year’s event, the city will make adjustments and, if necessary, will change the way it will approach the event.
Destini Ambus is the general reporter of the mission for Savannah Morning News, which covers community and cultural municipalities and programs. You can reach her at dambus@gannett.com