10,000 Lakes Music Festival takes hiatus in 2010

10,000 Lakes Music Festival will not be back in 2010.  Announced today, the wonderful midwestern music festival held for the past seven years in Detroit Lakes, MN will be on an indefinite hiatus due to financial issues.  Minnesota Public Radio reported on their website that promoter Rand Levy said the costs involved were so large the event can’t pay for itself, and that only two of the seven festivals broke even.  Levy says he wants to take a year off and rethink, and the event may come back in another form in future years. 

“We want you to know we have heard your voices as community and the 10,000 Lakes Festival wants to deeply thank all of our fans, artists and attendees for seven amazing years at Soo Pass Ranch,” festival promoter Rand Levy said in a statement.

2009 brought in headliners Wilco, Widespread Panic and Dave Matthews Band.  Approximately 17,000 fans attended the 2009 festival, yet according to the Detroit Lakes Tribune, promoters were expecting a much larger attendance. 

Despite adding a more mainstream headliner, Dave Matthews, fans didn’t turn out in 2009 as organizers had hoped. Levy said before the event he expected 10,000 to 15,000 people to buy single-day tickets for the Matthews finale, in addition to those with full festival passes. Shortly before the July 25 headlining set, an organizer estimated overall festival attendance around 17,000.

10,000 Lakes Music Festival has hosted a mix of national touring acts and north country favorites since 2003. Past performers include: Dave Matthews Band, The Allman Brothers Band, Phil Lesh & Friends, Bob Weir & RatDog, Trey Anastasio Band, John Mayer, 311, Mike Gordon, Wilco, O.A.R., String Cheese Incident, the Disco Biscuits, Umphrey’s McGee, moe., Galactic, MMW, Leftover Salmon, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings and The Roots.