Float Fest 2019 Canceled

AUSTIN, TX — Citing "several recent roadblocks" beyond their control, organizers of the popular Float Fest said on Friday that the July event has been canceled.

The event that has had a six-year run was to be staged in Gonzales, Texas, a town about a 90 minutes' drive southwest of Austin, on July 20-21. The venue was picked after the Guadalupe County Commissioners Court reportedly declined to issue a permit to stage it along the San Marcos River. The festival was previously staged at the Cool River Ranch in San Marcos to private land in Gonzales.

"We are extremely saddened to announce today that Float Fest 2019 is being canceled," Float Fest officials said in a prepared statement. "This was a difficult decision to make, but due to several recent roadblocks outside of our control and in an effort to do right by our fans, the decision to cancel the event was the best option."

Organizers had hoped to secure an alternative site in Gonzales but won't have enough time to ready the grounds to stage the event, officials said: "We have been working around the clock to prepare the new festival site in Gonzales, but at this time we don’t feel the grounds are ready to fully showcase everything Float Fest is about.

"With weather, Gonzales saw an extraordinary amount of rain in May and June. Although the site cleared, the rain created delays of construction. We want to provide a first class experience to our fans, therefore we will be finishing out the site so that it is ready for the festival in 2020."

All ticket holders will be refunded the full cost of their tickets, according to Float Fest 2019 organizers. The refund process will be initiated through the Float Fest ticketing partner, Eventbrite, for all attendees who purchased ticket(s) through their site. "There is no action necessary on your end and you can expect to see the refund on your credit/debit card statement within the next 5-7 business days," officials said.

Those with question about the refunding process are asked to contact officials at info@floatfest.net. "We are dedicated to answering any questions and concerns that you might have," Float Fest officials wrote. "We truly love our fans. We appreciate you sticking by us while we work hard to make this right."

The cancellation for Float Fest 2019 — where people are able to combine their love of music and tubing down the river simultaneously — comes as the festival was poised for a watershed moment in its six-year history. Big-name acts scheduled to perform included Big Boi, Flaming Lips, Gucci Mane, Ice Cube, Kaskade, Major Lazer, Portugal the Man and Rainbow Kitten Suprise.