Festivities on hold for two longtime Columbus festivals

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Two larger festivals in Columbus will not happen this year.

Juneteenth and The Southside Blues Festival have both been cancelled.

Lowndes County Supervisors Leroy Brooks and Jeff Smith made the announcement this morning.

The county leaders say the death of the 2% restaurant tax created confusion and problems when they went to find more donors.

They also claim time ran out on being able to plan the events before a decision was made by CVB on funding festivals.

“With the 2% sales (restaurant) tax not passing, it just created an aura of confusion,” Brooks explained. “Even though they had committed to funding us this year, the impact of trying to raise money from other sources.”

“With all of the adverse discussion about the 2% tax, it’s making it difficult for us to be able to get out and raise the kind of funds we need to be able to put on a quality event,” said Smith.

This would have been the 22nd Annual Juneteenth Festival and the 13th Annual Southside Blues Festival.

Brooks and Smith are hopeful the events will return next year.