NEW ORLEANS — Essence Fest filed a lawsuit against some local businesses this weekend, claiming they violated the “Clean Zone” ordinance in New Orleans.
But what is a Clean Zone?
Essentially, a Clean Zone exists to ensure smaller, events or vendors not affiliated with a major event don’t siphon business from that major event or make traffic or security worse.
The city ordinance effectively creates a box around an event and regulates commercial activity in that box.
The Essence Festival Clean Zone is laid out by City Ordinance. It encompasses parts of the Marigny, 7th Ward, and Treme, the entire French Quarter and Central Business District, and even extends to the levee of the West Bank to Algiers Point.
That means no one not officially affiliated with Essence Fest can sell drinks, food, or merchandise on the sidewalks or streets, use Essence Festival trademarks to sell things or promote events, and can’t put on outdoor events or public festivals.
One city leader told us the “Clean Zone” ordinances came to be during the Super Bowl because the city didn’t want small vendors selling Super Bowl merchandise outside of the Dome.
They’re controversial now, and were controversial then. The ACLU sued the city in 2013, saying the Clean Zone violated the First Amendment.
Councilmember Freddie King proposed this Clean Zone ordinance for Essence, but then referred us to the Mayor to get our questions answered. The Mayor’s office did not respond to our request for answers.
Per the ordinance, the Essence Fest Clean Zone lifts Monday at midnight.
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