GRAND ISLE, La (WGNO) –– Grand Isle is bringing back its Island Strong Music Festival to raise funds for the continued recovery efforts from the devastation left by Hurricane Ida in 2021.
The barrier island sits along the Louisiana coast and is a popular spot for those wanting to enjoy being in the front row for all the action that comes with being a Sportsman’s Paradise.
However, Grand Isle residents know their location also comes with a cost. Hurricane Ida ripped through the island in 2021, destroying buildings, and powerlines, leaving the island uninhabitable.
According to Mayor David Camardelle, “Coming back to the island, it looked like a bomb went off.”
There’s still plenty of work to restore the island to its original glory, but they’ve come a long way. “We’re wide open,” Camardelle said. “We’re doing better every day.”
Camardelle said they’re also working on making the island more resilient by putting rocks around the beaches to protect them from getting washed out in the next storm, “Mother Nature works with the rocks and it protects our island.”
The city received federal help to rebuild the island, but those funds can only go so far. A year after the storm, they were still struggling to see the same turnout they were used to and dealing with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Everybody was just down and didn’t have nothing for people to do, and we’re like, well, you know what? Let’s put on something,” said Councilmember Brian Barthelemy. So, they hosted the first Island Strong Music Festival with live music, local vendors, and plenty of food.
The event’s success brought in around $100,000, which was put back into the city and helped rebuild the school’s ballpark. Demand to bring the festival back was so high they had to stop accepting vendors. “We know we’re going to raise a lot of money. Everything that we raise is going back into our community,” said Barthelemy.
Although no amount of rebuilding can stop mother nature, Carmardelle said they’re not leaving, “As long as there’s one grain of sand to plant the American flag, we’re not going nowhere, I can promise you.”
The Island Strong Music Festival runs from July 13 to 15. Ticket sales go toward helping the island continue its recovery efforts.
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