Tybee Island’s largest unpermitted event may face new hurdles this year.
The Georgia Senate this week passed a bill that would hold Orange Crush’s organizers liable for the expenses incurred from security, emergency services, toilets and other public safety measures.
Orange Crush, which is hailed as “the biggest HBCU beach bash to hit the East Coast,” is an annual event on Tybee Island attended primarily by Black college students from throughout the South.
The event has been held annually since 1988, but has been held without a permit since 1991, when Savannah State University severed its ties with the organizers of the event. It will be held this year April 19-21.
Orange Crush changes:Organizers want to make these entertainment changes for 2024
Though nearby Savannah is now a majority-Black city, Tybee Island has remained predominantly white, with only 3.52% of its residents identifying as Black or African American. The beaches where Orange Crush is held have only allowed Black visitors since 1964, and in 2021, the festival’s original organizer moved the event to Jacksonville, Florida, citing “lack of resources, limited parking, civil rights violations, and political injustices.” However, other organizers have picked up the mantle to promote Orange Crush at Tybee.