Dave Evan’s Earthfest 09 Sure to be Green, Rockin,’ and Runnin’

By Nancy Correro

Editor, The Times of SWLA

Nearly 20 million Americans participated in the first Earth
Day celebration on April 22, 1970. In the decades since, Earth
Day has spread across the globe with thousands of events in
more than 180 countries.

In this corner of the world, Dave Evans, owner of the Luna Bar
and Grill in downtown Lake Charles, will be hosting Earthfest
09. “This years Earthfest is going to be enormous. We’ve got
the 5k marathon that is going to start here and end here,”
said Evans.

There will be approximately 300 people running in the 5k.
Runners will enjoy a reception afterward with a pasta dinner,
beer, and finishing T-shirts.

Ryan Street in front of Luna’s will be closed off from Broad
to Division Street. The whole street is filled with green
influenced events and all of the live music happens on Luna’s
stage. “It’s basically a big party that I host,” said Evans.
“It’s a celebration for everyone who comes, the Earth, and all
of this is educational.”

Evans is trying to get everyone that makes a difference with
the “green thing” to be a participant and not just the people
who bring their paper to be recycled, but the companies that
are going green and trying to make a difference. “This isn’t
about making money, that’s what I do everyday, this is
awareness, this is a celebration, another reason for us to
enjoy our wonderful downtown and embrace it.”

Other attractions you will see at Earthfest 09 are Sam Houston
State Park’s booth, different flea market vendors, and massage
therapists. There will be a skateboard demonstration from
Ripper’s Skate Park. Billy Navarre is a sponsor and they’ll
have hybrids parked for people to see.

At last years Earthfest there were a bunch of acoustic acts,
some duos, and it was extremely limited because the noise
ordinance hadn’t been changed, said Evans.  He fought for the
cities noise ordinance to be altered downtown. Evans bought
his place with the intention of having live bands play on his
outdoor stage. “The noise ordinance can’t be the same here as
the rest of the city if they’re going to call it an
‘entertainment district’.”

Lake Charles is a stopping ground off I-10 with New Orleans,
Houston, and Austin not far, it’s the perfect place for bands
to stop in and play. Evans has many bands call him to play
Luna. The Lee Boys played on Conan O’Brien about three months
after they played Luna.

This year Evans has teamed up with Calcasieu Parish as a
supporting sponsor with their “Don’t be Trashy” campaign. His
fiscal agent is The Arts and Humanities Council. “Irene
Vandever and Jackie Dowden helped me and they’re wonderful,
wonderful people.

They don’t get recognized for all they do.”
Dave Evans has been in Lake Charles his entire life, “born and
raised.” He was 13 when his parents opened Dave’s Oyster
House, which is where Dave got his feet wet in the restaurant
business.

His Father passed away in 1997 and Dave said his dad was the
glue that made the restaurant work. “He was the mediator between all of us that ran everything.”
Evans lived in Austin, TX and California for a while, but like a lot of us, he
realized that his hometown was a special place and there was
no where else like it in the world.

Now, with Luna, Evans is
the “glue” that holds everything together and makes his
restaurant work, which is evident when he is seen greeting
people table after table.

“I want to accentuate the positive side of Lake Charles,” he
said “we’ve got I-10 that passes over a Lake that our downtown
sits on, nobody else has that.”  Evans is also trying to make
the city aware of local music and art. Everybody knows what
New Orleans has and Lafayette has and Acadiana has and Evans
thinks Lake Charles has all of that, but the culture is a
little bit different here. “I guess my main focus is to fill
that question mark and to make people understand that Chuck
can be good too. 

“I’ve got three kids that I don’t want to see go anywhere,” he
said, “I want them to appreciate this place how I have learned
to appreciate it.”

Earthfest 09 begins at 8:00 a.m. Friday April, 17.  At 9:00
p.m. – 12:00 a.m., the bands Oak Decline, Fresh Nectar,
Jabarvy, and Riverside Railway take the stage. On Saturday

April, 18 at 2:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m. the bands Jabarvy,
Funkotron, 6 Pack Deep, Fondue Monks, Little Brother Project,
and Frogs Gone Fishin go on.

The 5k begins at 4:00p.m., April 18 with registration from
3:00-3:45. For more information go to www.lunabarandgrill.com
or call 337-494-5862.