2023 Treeline Music Fest canceled a month before music set to begin

Aarik Danielsen, Columbia Daily Tribune
·1 min read
Concertgoers take in the night during the third day of the Roots N Blues festival on Oct. 9, 2022, at Stephens Lake Park in Columbia, Mo.
Concertgoers take in the night during the third day of the Roots N Blues festival on Oct. 9, 2022, at Stephens Lake Park in Columbia, Mo.

The 2023 edition of the Treeline Music Fest, set to take place Sept. 29-Oct. 1 in Stephens Lake Park, was canceled Thursday.

"Team Treeline has made every effort to create a unique and authentic experience that features a diverse lineup in Columbia, Missouri. We are facing significantly higher than expected expenses that have made it impossible to produce this event to the standard the community deserves.

“For this reason, Treeline Music Fest will not take place in 2023," a post to the festival's social media accounts and website read Thursday.

The three-day fest was set to feature the likes of MUNA, Japanese Breakfast, The Robert Cray Band, Jo Dee Messina, Sierra Ferrell, Salt-N-Pepa and more.

This was to be the first year under the festival's new name. Founded as Roots N Blues in 2007, the festival migrated from downtown Columbia to its spacious park setting in 2013. The name change reflected organizers' affection for the park, and the continued widening of the festival's musical boundaries.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered the fest for a year, but Roots N Blues enjoyed two strong years following.

In 2021, owners Shay Jasper and Tracy Lane delivered on a promise to feature female representation in every festival slot. Last year's fest featured Wilco, Jon Batiste, Chaka Khan, Tanya Tucker, Bleachers and more.

Tanya Tucker performs during the Roots N Blues festival on Friday at Stephens Lake Park.
Tanya Tucker performs during the Roots N Blues festival on Friday at Stephens Lake Park.

"Refunds will be processed automatically to original method of payment in as little as 30 days," Thursday's post said. "Please Note: To receive your refund, no action is needed however you must have purchased your tickets through Front Gate Tickets directly."

Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at adanielsen@columbiatribune.com or by calling 573-815-1731. He's on Twitter @aarikdanielsen.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: 2023 Treeline Music Fest canceled a month before music set to begin