Blue Ridge Rock Festival held earlier this month was cancelled halfway through allegedly due to severe weather in the area. Though reports have since surfaced that staff threatened to strike due to unworkable conditions, and that's what actually caused the cancellation.
Blue Ridge Rock Festival has now issued a new statement denying anything but the weather caused the cancellation, and notes that they're "unable to offer more details at this time."
"We are continually working around the clock for you. As one of the few true independent entities remaining, and with just one event a year, the process we are currently working through does unfortunately take additional time. Blue Ridge deeply regrets the unexpected turn of events that led to the festival's cancellation. The decision, although difficult, was taken in collaboration with an emergency management team, comprised of local, county, and state officials, as well as venue representatives. It was a collective choice made in the best interest of everyone's safety, including attendees, musicians, and campers. Contrary to some claims, the decision was based solely on safety concerns caused by the weather.
"Due to a combination of internal considerations and external factors, we are unable to offer more details at this time, but we are looking forward to doing so. We appreciate your patience and understanding and will communicate further information as soon we are able. We do want to know we hear you and understand your concerns. We ask for your continued patience."
Predictably, Blue Ridge Rock Festival attendees are pissed and are expressing their frustration in the comments section. One of the top comments reads "Refunding fans in full is your only chance at redemption," while most others follow in a very similar manner. Blue Ridge had originally promised refunds for fans, which nobody appears to have gotten. Or as one person put it, "You’ve know that this is your fault, Sunday was beautiful, no weather to be seen. I drove 700 miles and wasted 4 days of PTO to stand around all day at Blue Ridge Line Fest."
