Rock on the River cancelled

Fans at the 2019 Rock on the River music festiva in Timminsl. Maija Hoggett/TimminsToday
A Timmins music festival set to celebrate its fifth anniversary this summer has been cancelled.

Timmins Festivals and Events Committee (TFEC) announced the cancellation of Rock on the River today. It was slated to happen July 24 and 25.

The announcement was made on their Facebook page today.

With the uncertainty of the pandemic, the statement notesit's not certain "if it would be safe or responsible to even throw the festival. We feel best to use this extra time to make our 2021 edition that much more special."

“2020 was going to be the fifth anniversary of our festival, and with that, it was expected to be bigger than ever. We had secured some bands that we have been trying to get since day oneand that makes the decision even harder. However, we know this is the right decision. Our community needs to come together and support each other, and before we can spend money on concert tickets we need to help our local economy get back on its feet," said John Olaveson, TFEC chair, in a statement posted on their Facebook page.

There have been no TFEC events since July 2019.

One of their fundraisers, Beer Fest, was slated to be held in April but was also cancelled due to the pandemic.

"Rock On The River is only possible with the support of the northern businesses community. With so many of our long time sponsors currently facing unheard of challenges we urge our festivals followers to use the money that they would have spent on a ticket at a local business instead. We can not ask them to support us right now. Our local businesses are the reason this festival, and many other things in our community happen. Please support them during this time. You can see our sponsors at TimminsFestivals.com," reads the statement.