‘When We Were Young’ music festival canceled Saturday due to high winds, but organizers promised thousands in refunds
A music festival in Virginia was canceled Saturday because of high winds but organizers promised thousands in refunds, according to the Associated Press.
The Great American Music Festival was scheduled to take place at Williamsburg, Va., near Virginia’s historic Jamestown Settlement. The day before the festival, the National Weather Service issued a rare wind advisory for the area. The Williamsburg Fire Department had requested that the crowd not gather on Saturday.
In response, organizers canceled the event, “when We Were Young” or “When We Were Young: Music Fest.” Although hundreds of people were expected to gather to attend the festival, the weather did make the day difficult to plan.
“Our event was a large scale event,” festival president and local lawyer James Rittenhouse said in a statement to The Associated Press. “With today’s winds, we are looking at the possibility of a significant event cancellation.”
“We are working with multiple parties to develop a plan that will allow us to go forward,” he said.
“As with most things, the first priority is the safety and security of everyone in attendance,” festival president Rittenhouse added.
The festival organizers did say they will refund the ticket price to anyone who was inconvenienced, as well as offering an alternate date in 2021.
“No group or individual will be denied a refund,” festival president Rittenhouse said. “However, there will be a significant impact on our schedule if we reschedule that date.”
Tickets for the event were $125 in advance and $175 at the door. It’s unclear if refunds would be made retroactively.
The festival is also planning one of its biggest concerts in 2020, featuring hip-hop icon Kendrick Lamar. An exact date and location have not yet been announced.
Rittenhouse said that organizers had received more than 1,000 phone calls and requests for refunds.