Green Fest, Beatles Cover Band, to Kick Off Decatur Concerts on Square

The next best thing to the Beatles -- a local Beatles cover band -- will headline the first Saturday Concert on the Square, as well as the third annual Decatur Green Fest.

The Green Fest will be a day-long festival 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. of live music, beer, tastings of local organic produce and food, showcasing of equal exchange and other fairly trades products, eco-friendly organizations and vendors, art featuring recycled materials and a children's activity area.

Headlining the Saturday night concert will be Please PleaseRock Me, a Yacht Rock Revenue Spin-off and Beatles cover band, which will perform at 7 p.m. on the Dave FM Stage.

Nathan Beaver, an alternative country musician featured on Decatur's Red Eye Gravy Records, will perform at 6: 15 p.m. Live music begins at 3 p.m.

Green Fest organizer John Beal, a.k.a. "John the Baker," said the Green Fest moved to coincide with Decatur's popular Saturday night concert series to avoid competing with other Earth Day events. The Decatur Business Association sponsors the Concerts on the Square series.

In keeping with the green theme, Beal urges event attendees to walk or bicycle to the concert.

The Green Fest is hosted by the Dogwood Alliance, a South Carolina-based ecology group celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. The Dogwood Alliance advocates for natural and native Southern forests by creating demand for environmentally sound paper products.

"It's really an enlightening time to be a human being on the planet earth," said Dogwood Alliance Director Danna Smith. "We face more challenges, but within these challenges we find so much opportunity."

Besides Dave FM, the 2011 sponsors of the Decatur Green Fest include Nalley Decatur, Terrapin Beer Co., Eddie’s Attic, TreeLeaf Music, the Downtown Development Authority;; Red Eye Gravy Records; and .