SnowGlobe thrills attendees as Khalid and others take the stage

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - Fans of electronic music have flocked to South Lake Tahoe for the annual SnowGlobe outdoor music festival held December 29-31 at, one the Community Fields. The predominately under-30 crowd come from colleges and communities hundreds and even thousands of miles away to enjoy a specially gathered group of top artists in the electronic dance music (EDM) field.

Along with the fun though comes issues common at most music festivals: noise, trash, underage drinking and drugs.

After the first night, there were 13 arrests or citations at SnowGlobe out of the thousands of attendees: Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) had arrested three for "Minor in Possession" and one for "Open Container in Vehicle." The South Lake Tahoe Police Department made nine arrests, five for trespassing and four for "Minor in Possession." Medical calls inside the venue have not been reported yet.

Law enforcement and rescue personnel were kept busy outside of SnowGlobe with one person sent to Renown on Care Flight after suffering a stroke, one person transported to Barton after a two-car collision on Ski Run Blvd and Pioneer Trail that also took out the SLT Fire Rescue's sign on the corner. There were also numerous calls to residences for noise and excessive parking at vacation rentals. Four were arrested for DUI, one for DUI Drug and two for disorderly conduct.

Inside SnowGlobe on Friday, the thousands of attendees were having a great time. New this year were small igloos where people could sit, get warm and charge their phones. Multiple food vendors, both inside and out, and multiple beverage booths were very popular to the crowd.

Over the very busy police scanner, Friday was a very busy night with calls throughout the South Shore. After SnowGlobe ended for the evening, some people got lost as they exited the venue, ending up in neighborhoods away from the entrance. One group of four was on Chinquapin and Meadow Crest Drives south of South Tahoe Public Utility District, who called 911 to say they were lost. They were headed to MontBleu, five miles to the east. Another young woman called 911 from Sierra House Elementary to say she was lost and wanted a taxi ride.

Outside the gates, the "Always Buddy" tent returned in honor of Alyssa Byrne, the 19-year-old who died after attending New Year's Eve SnowGlobe Music Festival in 2012. She became separated from her friends and started walking. Her body was found off Pioneer Trail between Black Bart Avenue and Al Tahoe Boulevard on January 4, 2013.

Each year since then, the tent has been set up to not only provide hot drinks, water, heat and a place to charge phones, but to get pledges that concert attendees will always stay with a buddy. This year, they had a tree set up to hold the pledges.

Alyssa's dad Kevin Byrne is in South Lake Tahoe again, spreading the word that if one goes to a new place or party as a group, you need come back as a group. That cause, along with a message about the dangers of drugs, has been a mission for the Byrnes since their daughter's death. Mother Kim was unable to make it.

Most of the supplies in the tent are donated by Leandra and Paul Hale, owners of the Butter Muffin in South Lake Tahoe.