One of Belleville, Ont.’s signature summer events is cancelled this year for just the second time in almost 20 years.
Toto, Meat Loaf, Alice Cooper and The Glorious Sons are just some of the big-time names that have graced the Empire Rockfest over the past two decades.
The music festival is put on every summer by the owner of the Empire Theatre.
In a video posted to Facebook last Friday, the owner of the Empire Theatre, Mark Rashotte, said the festival is not going on this year.
“Up until a few weeks ago, I was still working hard trying to put together a package of acts together that lived up to the Empire Rockfest name. That was not the case this year,” he said.
In the video, Rashotte went on to explain that he would not put on the show if he felt that the quality would be less than people have come to expect over the course of many years of doing the three-day festival.
“I can’t come to you and ask you for putting out your hard-earned money to buy a ticket to come to an event here for us if I’m not feeling really good about it on the fact that I think we’re going to be delivering the goods to you,” he added.
Empire Rockfest is often well attended by locals, and will be missed this year, at least by one Belleville man.
“I was very disappointed to find out that they cancelled it. They’ve only had it going one year since COVID and it was just nice to get out, you know?” said five-time Empire Rockfest attendee Dave Hounsell.
In the video posted to Facebook, Rashotte went on to say that he fell on the decision about two weeks ago, and that this will not be the last of Empire Rockfest.
“We will be back. I want to rock this town. and we’re going to continue to rock this town,” he said.
Rashotte said to look forward to September, when plans are being made to celebrate 20 years of the Empire Theatre.
Nonetheless, Rockfest fans will need to hold out for another year.
“It’s really upsetting that they aren’t having it this year,” said Hounsell.
Global News reached out to both Rashotte and co-organizer Andy Forgie, but neither was available for an interview.