If there is an encompassing term to describe this weekend’s Disc-N-Dig Festival, an event that highlights beach volleyball and disc golf, it would have to be “eco-friendly.”

“These our two lifestyle sports that engage people in the outdoors and they are free,” said festival director Michael Plansky. “They are real community building types of sports.

“So the whole idea of the festival is to get a diversity of people out there, no matter what your skill level is, and have a great time in the outdoors playing these two sports. Then at the same time, kind of expose people to alternatives to environmental sustainability.”

The fourth annual event kicks off Saturday at Zephyr Cove with the beach volleyball tournament and solar powered music and ends on Sunday afternoon with disc golf and an organic barbecue.

The music lineup begins with Whittell High School senior Jerel Dutton, who writes his own songs, and continues with the Marones and Lavish Green, who will also be playing Saturday night at Lakeside Inn and Casino. In between, there will be booths educating people on bio-diesel fuel and spreading important messages from Tahoe Regional Environmental Education, the nonprofit group that will be the beneficiary of this year’s festival proceeds.

And, of course, the other important thread is the participants who will be competing in two divisions (open, festival) in the sports of beach volleyball and disc golf.

“Meshing the two sports together is really a good thing,” said Ron Russell, the 1999 world champion disc golfer who competed at last year’s Disc-N-Dig Festival. “It brings together the outdoors and sports that aren’t big money sports yet. It’s a good group of people.”

Although Russell can’t compete this year, plenty of others jumped at the chance to get involved.

In 2001, the festival’s inaugural year, there were 36 participants. In 2002, it grew to 46 and last year it reached the maximum number of entrants (65), which was filled the morning of the event. This year, Plansky secured all available spots by the end of May.

Teams consist of three players and each team member must play both sports. There are 10 teams in the open division and 10 in the festival division, the recreational division. While the scoring format has stayed the same all four years, the prizes participants are competing for has steadily grown.

Close to $10,000 in prizes will be given out for the silent auction and how teams finish in the final standings. Prizes include anything from a 2005-06 Kirkwood season pass to $100 dinner coupons to a disc golf basket.

“I got so much stuff to give away, probably more than I can,” Plansky said. “It’s just loaded with prizes. Everybody cleans up. I don’t get any money from sponsors, but everyone comes away winning something.”

Although locals make up the majority of the teams, people have come from all over the country to play volleyball and disc golf in an idyllic setting.

“It’s one of the most picturesque courses I’ve ever played, and I’ve played over 600 courses,” said Russell, a Michigan native. “Mike is real conscientious and is always trying to make the event bigger and better. It’s just a great thing for the city. I hope to make it out there next year.”

For the second straight year, the biggest sponsor is Full Sail Brewing Company out of Hood River, Ore. But almost 100 sponsors have helped fuel the event’s success. Through selling raffle tickets for the silent auction, Plansky has also increased the amount of money raised for nonprofit groups, beginning with $500 raised in 2003 to $1,300 last year. This year, he’s hoping to raise at least $2,000 for TREE.

“Full Sail is a big supporter of disc golf and their market is rafting and rock climbing, a lot of the same things Tahoe is associated with,” Plansky said. “They really like supporting the event. They believe in a lot of the same things the event is trying to promote.”

Info Box

What: 4th annual Disc-N-Dig Festival

Where: Zephyr Cove

When: Saturday-Sunday

Cost: $8 to park at Zephyr Cove; free across the Highway 50

Note: Twenty teams will compete in beach volleyball and disc golf in an eco-friendly event that will include solar powered music, an organic barbecue, silent auction and prize giveaways.