Tybee Island Mayor Brian West explains how the city plans to curb crime, traffic issues, litter and other problems during the Orange Crush spring break event in April.
What began as a cherished spring break event for a local Georgia college in the 1980s has transformed into a “riotous” festival in recent years, drawing tens of thousands of attendees to a small island struggling to work proactively with the event organizers.
Orange Crush, a spring break event in Tybee Island, Georgia, that used to be organized by students at nearby Savannah State University, brought “complete mayhem” to Tybee Island in 2023, according to Mayor Brian West.
“Parking areas basically became disaster areas because we had people who were either shooting off fireworks that sounded like guns, or they were actually shooting guns, and people were running and stampeding. … It was riotous. It was really bad,” West said of the 2023 event.
While the event is no longer affiliated with Savannah State, it is returning to Tybee Island on Easter weekend, expected to draw an estimated 50,000 attendees to the three-mile-long island.
ORANGE CRUSH 2025: POPULAR GEORGIA BEACH TOWN APPROVES RETURN OF CRIME-FILLED BEACH FEST
Since the event’s inception in 1989, promoters have taken over the planning process with the goal of getting more attendees and more money, which has transformed Orange Crush into a wild weekend for the typically quiet beach town, according to West.
Locals have complained of litter, traffic issues and violence as a result of the party and the masses of people it draws to Tybee Island. In particular, in parking lots after sundown, attendees get on top of police cars and engage in violent behavior like throwing glass bottles. Local leaders and law enforcement have been working to contain those issues to keep residents and Orange Crush participants as safe as possible.
“One of our officers was hit in the head with a bottle. It was complete mayhem. So, we had to close our parking lots, so they’re not available for use,” the mayor explained of the 2023 Orange Crush.
Orange Crush organizers filed for a city permit for the event that begins on April 18 and ends on April 20, despite operating without a permit in the past. City leaders gave the organizers a list of conditions to meet in order to receive a permit, but they have yet to accept those conditions.
ROAD RAGE SHOOTING CAPS GEORGIA ’23 SPRING BREAK CHAOS AT TYBEE ISLAND
“We’re thrilled to announce that for the first time in decades, we are fully permitted and ready to celebrate April 18-20,” Orange Crush said in a Feb. 19 Facebook post.
But West anticipates the city will not approve Orange Crush’s permit request because the organizers have started working with “disreputable” promoters that Tybee Island leaders do not want to be involved in the event.
“Promoters that have asked for a permit are working with other promoters now that we don’t want involved in this, so it’s very likely we won’t be issuing a permit now,” West said.
He said the permit as an agreement between city leaders and event organizers that Orange Crush would meet the city’s requirements for event timing and placement requirements, coordination of municipal services, “preservation of public property,” prevention of dangerous and unlawful behavior, and other conditions.
Orange Crush CEO Steven Smalls told Fox News Digital in a statement that his team has “implemented a structured system to bring organization, security, and entertainment to this event — something that has never been done before.”
“I have worked closely with Tybee Island officials, including Mayor Brian West, law enforcement in Tybee Island and Savannah, and other key stakeholders, to develop a rigorous plan for this year’s festival,” Smalls said. “Our team has followed a strict schedule to ensure that every detail is carefully organized and executed with safety and structure in mind.”
Smalls noted that Orange Crush has “been a longstanding tradition, occurring with or without a permit,” but this year will be different because “for the first time, the event is officially structured, with security, waste management, and traffic coordination in place.”
“While we cannot control every outside promoter who associates themselves with the event, we are the official organizers and have taken the necessary steps to bring accountability and order to the festival,” he continued. “If the City of Tybee Island is concerned about certain individuals, we encourage them to apply consistent enforcement across all local businesses that choose to work with outside promoters during this weekend.”
Smalls asked “the public to not rush to judgment but instead allow this newly organized Orange Crush Festival the opportunity to demonstrate the positive changes we’ve made.”
“This is a new era for the event, and for the first time, there is a clear plan of action to ensure it is structured and well-managed,” he said.
At past events, festival promoters have formed circles packed with people on the beach or in parking lots where attendees have to pay to see what is happening inside the circle, which could be anything from two men fighting to people having sex to naked women dancing.
POPULAR GEORGIA BEACH TOWN OVERRUN BY ‘ORANGE CRUSH’ FIGHTING, CHAOS, VIDEO SHOWS
“If an officer tries to go and control that situation, all of the sudden, they’re surrounded by 5,000 people,” West said. “Even if they tried to arrest someone, our jail is an hour away in Savannah, so that means taking an officer off their job and away from where we need them, so the best thing they can do is try to keep the crowd in their space.”
Tybee Island has a one-lane road that leads to the island from Savannah, and with the event drawing tens of thousands of people, it leads to traffic chaos, including cars that end up on neighboring islands because they can’t make it to Tybee Island.
“It’s very uncomfortable for the people who live in this area,” West said. “People actually drive through other people’s yards. It can get really out of hand.”
The city has tried to control traffic by fencing off neighborhood backstreets, closing certain parking lots and assigning personnel to direct cars. Tybee Island leaders closed parking lots in 2024 and plan to do so in 2025 as well. The city also rents out a pier on the beach so that law enforcement can use it during the event.
The Tybee Island Police Department typically has about 30 officers covering an area of about 3,200 homes, so the city is bringing in other state and local officers during Orange Crush weekend, West said. There are about 100 to 150 officers expected for the festival in April.
Orange Crush attendees at past events have also littered parts of Tybee Island’s beach with trash in the sand and in the water.
CRIME ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES SPIKES AFTER DECADE OF STEADY DECLINE AS STUDENTS FEAR FOR SAFETY
“While there are ample trash cans and places to put trash, the participants just throw trash wherever they’re standing,” West said, adding that the city “lit up the area” with spotlights and headlights from four-wheelers at night after the festival last year to help with trash pickup.
“Volunteers, some hotel owners and a couple of council members … started walking up and down the beach, picking up trash that way,” the mayor said. Schools and charity organizations also help organize volunteers to clean the beaches for about five to seven days after Orange Crush.
POLICE, GUNMAN EXCHANGE FIRE IN HOTEL AFTER PHONY ‘MURDER’ CONFESSION, BODYCAM SHOWS
Back in 2018, Tybee Island implemented new regulations cracking down on Orange Crush weekend, including restrictions on open alcohol, as Tybee is an open container city; increased traffic stops and property searches; and limits on home rentals. An activist group called the Concerned Citizens of Tybee complained about the regulations and involved the Justice Department. Eventually, the group and city leaders came to a mediation in July 2018.
The agreement states that Tybee will apply the same rules and restrictions to all large events on the island, “permitted or unpermitted,” that will be applied equally.
West described last year’s Orange Crush as more successful than the 2023 festival after the city made more preparations to mitigate crime and traffic issues. College students who attended the festival were able to stay safe in 2024, the mayor said, but he’s not exactly encouraging people to attend.
In fact, West is urging Easter visitors and other tourists to avoid Tybee Island during Orange Crush weekend.
For those attending Orange Crush, West said the “chances are better that you’re not going to have a good experience” than the chances of having a good experience.