Inaugural Midwest Wizard of Oz Fest Canceled

Fans of the Wizard of Oz excited to see the L. Frank Baum classic celebrated in the Southland will have to wait another year.

Festival organizers announced this week that the event has been postponed until 2015.

“We have come to the determination that we have run out of time to put on the incredible festival we had planned for 2014,” wrote organizer Dave De John on the website. “We have had the details of the festival worked out for months, the challenge was finding the right location that could handle a festival the size of what we were putting together. The exciting thing is we have now found the right location in the village of Tinley Park for the future.”

The festival was originally slated to be held in Orland Park Sept. 19–21, but organizers were forced to find a new location, ultimately choosing Tinley Park. Fans won’t have to wait long for the fest, De John said, as many of the details have fallen into place for its 2015 debut.

“We are now confident with the commitment of the Village of Tinley Park, coupled with the extra time now available to prepare, will enable the festival to be bigger and more enjoyable than initially planned for this year,” De John wrote. “All of our special guests and entertainment along with 95 percent of the vendors have committed to being part of the 2015 festival and we have an entire year to add more incredible activities, vendors, attractions and guests.

The event was set to include tethered hot air balloon rides, a large carnival, a Dorothy Gale -themed petting zoo with pony rides, Wizard of Oz- themed interactive displays, andmerchandise vendors.

Check back on the website for more information on the future of the fest.