McCREA, La. (AP) - Several thousand young people milled around the plantation site of the proposed "Celebration of Life" rock music festival Sunday refusing to believe the event is off. Promoters of the festival were stilt trying to bring it back to life. A federal appeals court ruled Sunday in New Orleans that a lower court judge in refusing to give the promoters a hearing on their request to hold the music festival, despite a last-minute local ordinance that blocked it. The appeals court ruled Distnct Court Judge E. Gordon West in Baton Rouge must hold the hearing by noon Monday, when the eight-day festival had been scheduled to start.
"The festival is legally off," promoter Kenny Lind had earlier told the growing crowd of youths at the site. "The stage is being dismantled. I want you to disperse. Its over, man, it's over." Lind's plea was to no avail and many in the crowd simply detoured around a blockade set up at the entrance by police. Others were lined up on the narrow gravel road leading into the site where some youths lounged the sun along the roadside or swam nude in the Atchafalya River. ' All the highways are jammed. People are sleeping everywhere, on everybody's property, but we're getting them out as fast as we can," said Pomte Coupree Parish (County) Sheriff F.A. Smith.
"The kids aren't resisting. They're very nice. They're just here with no place to go." One youth was arrested for disorderly conduct, a deputy said. The lack of water and sanitary facilities caused some concern and one of Lind's associates asked a state trooper to keep the people off the grounds of the 700 acre plantation. "We haven't got any food or water. If you're going to let them in, open up the show and let us get our supplies in," said Lou Weinstock. Cambridge Investment Corp., the promoting firm, said m court it had spent obligated itself for some $500,000 and the money would be lost unless the injunction is granted.
A spokesman for the festival said that the concert could be postponed several days. "If we start one or two days late, we would extend it by that many days. We have been able to arrange for all the scheduled acts to appear," the spokesman said. Some of the performers are Richie Havens, John Lee Hooker, Canned Heat, Ravi Shnkar, Johnny Winter and Sly and The Family Stone. Nomusical entertainment also had been advertised, including circus acts, aerial tightrope artists, puppet shows and a bazaar.
The site is the Cypress Point Plantation, owned by Baton Rouge attorney Ralph Kelton and reportedly leased to the promoters for $20,000. "We pay our money and we want to have a festival," one youth complained. Promoters pledged to refund all ticket receipts. Many youths said they would stay until there is a show. About 100 state police were called in to aid local officials
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