Treeline Music Fest cancels 2023 festival, citing expenses
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The owners of the Treeline Music Fest, formerly called the Roots N Blues Festival, said its 2023 event will not take place, citing high costs.
In a statement posted online and on its social media, organizers said the cancelation was a result of "facing significantly higher than expected expenses."
— Treeline Music Fest (@treelinefest) August 31, 2023
The festival was set to take place Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at Stephens Lake Park in Columbia. Refunds will be given to those who already bought tickets.
Festival organizers announced the rebranding to Treeline in February and had already announced several acts. Headliners for this year's festival included Japanese Breakfast and Grammy-winning hip-hop group Salt-N-Pepa.
Roots N Blues began in 2007. The owners of Treeline -- Shay Jasper and Tracy Lane -- bought the festival rights in 2019.
The Festival typically brings in close to $1 million to local businesses every year according to Amy Schneider, who is the director at the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau.
"A very conservative estimate is just in business sales alone, over $1,000,000 for the three-day weekend," Schneider said.
The festival also received a $20,000 grant from the City.
"That's a grant that comes through our tourism development program," Schneider said. "It's our signature series of events, and that grant is given to those events who have been in the community and shown growth over the years. And this grant is really for marketing and whatever they feel they need the funds for to help bring visitors to the community."
Schneider said they will have to revisit the grant with the festival to decide if Treeline will have to pay it back.
"There is a clause that says if you don't use the money, you have to repay it, but that's not something I've talked to them about today since it was just announced."
Frestival organizers cited financial hardships as a reason for the cancellation, and Schneider said the costs of goods are hitting everyone hard right now.
Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe expressed sympathy towards festival organizers in a tweet.
"The pandemic was so hard on so many - including our cultural arts entities. With expenditures only going up, I completely understand the decision @treelinefest organizers had to make. My heart goes out to them and my sincerest thanks for all you’ve done to keep the music alive," she wrote.
The pandemic was so hard on so many - including our cultural arts entities. With expenditures only going up, I completely understand the decision @treelinefest organizers had to make. My heart goes out to them and my sincerest thanks for all you’ve done to keep the music alive. https://t.co/aLHgtZqqLc
— Mayor Barbara Buffaloe (@BarbaraBuffaloe) August 31, 2023
Tyler Oakley -- general manager for Ninth Street Public House -- said the festival will be missed this year.
"It started off Downtown. It's moved to Stephens Lake. And even as it's moved away from us, we still see that influx with hotel bookings and people who are willing to be out and about from all over Missouri and all over the country, really. So we will absolutely be missing out on some revenue," Oakley said.
