Please note: any new updates are at the bottom of this post. Last update Tuesday 080211 @ 4:11PM
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West Coaster has just learned (thanks to TapHunter.com) that the large scale beer and music event America’s Finest Beer Festival that was scheduled for this weekend has been cancelled. One of the organizers of this event has agreed to speak with us. More on that soon.
The Rancho San Diego Jamul Chamber of Commerce is preparing a statement on the cancellation. They were involved in the planning of the event (to what extent is unknown to us at this time). (UPDATE: Statement has been issued and is viewable online http://www.afbfest.com/)
No word yet on any reimbursement ticket holders can expect. (UPDATE: Ticketholders who purchased tickets online via TicketWeb can expect refunds, see our update below for more details.)
This is a developing story. Once we learn more we’ll update this post. Sit tight…
072111 Update 4:19PM
West Coaster staffers report that Qualcomm Stadium is a “ghost town.” There is no sign of any festival one day before it is scheduled to begin.
072111 Update 4:31PM
West Coaster reader Paul Gagnon alerted us that the official venue website has changed into a plain text letter announcing the cancellation. See the post @ http://www.afbfest.com/
The letter is authored by Valerie Harrison, CEO of Rancho San Diego Jamul Chamber of Commerce (as is stated in her public LinkedIn.com profile: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/valerie-harrison/13/48/631 ). The letter states that financial support for the festival dropped at the last minute, and also stated that ticket holders can expect refunds. Click here to read Valerie’s letter.
A WC Reader asked us a valid question that I’d like to address. “What was the involvement of the sponsors, West Coaster, Taphunter, The Reader, 91x, etc?”
West Coaster engaged in a media trade with AFBF. We supplied advertising placement at discounted rates in exchange for a vendor booth for all three days. Also, we were getting general admission passes for our staff to man the booth, and WC logo placement on literature, websites, and advertisements was also part of the deal. That’s the extent of our involvement. While I cannot speak for my fellow local media, I’m sure similar deals were made.
As a side note, we did ask “how’s it going?” several times over the past months to our contacts planning the festival. Each time, the response was positive.
072111 Update 4:56P
WC Reader Joaquin Q. forwarded us an email from event ticketing service TicketWeb to all who had purchased a ticket through that service.
From: <info@ticketweb.com>
To:
Received: 21-Jul-11 4:04:58 PM
The following event has been cancelled:
America’s Finest Beer Festival: Saturday Pass with Pinback / Sunny Rude /
Shoreline Rootz / Psydecar / Mississippi Mud Sharks / Buck-O-Nine / Sprung
Monkey / Christopher Dale / Locked Out of Eden
07/23/11 11:00 AM PDT
Qualcomm Stadium Practice Field
The tickets you purchased will be automatically refunded to the credit card
used to make the purchase.
Please allow up to five business days for the refund to post to your
account.
Thank you for choosing TicketWeb.
072611 248AM
We’re still trying to get in touch with our contact. AFBF was our back cover ad for July, and we frankly need the cash. We’ll update when we know something.
073111 8PM
A visit to afbfest.com now directs to a godaddy.com website – meaning the website has been taken down/removed. In anticipation of this move, I took the liberty of backing up the letter which is now reproduced at this address. One of our readers, Glenn, has commented below that he’s interested in a refund. We hear you, man. Tomorrow, I’m going to call up the Rancho SD / Jamul Chamber and see what they say.
080211 412PM
Multiple calls to the Rancho San Diego Jamul Chamber of Commerce have gone unanswered. We’ll drop in and say hello later this week.