The future of Forecastle Festival: Is it ever coming back?

The future of Forecastle Festival: Is it ever coming back?
ASSIGNMENT YOU ABSOLUTELY LOVED. HOW THEY. THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST ASSIGNMENTS SINCE I’VE BEEN HERE SINCE JANUARY. I TOLD YOU EARLIER THAT I GOT TO KIND OF RELIVE MY MIDDLE SCHOOL DREAMS WHEN I SAW RICH HOMIE QUAN ON STAGE AND I FELT LIKE IT WAS JUST ME AND HIM TOGETHER WHILE HE WAS RAPPING TO ME. BUT RIGHT NOW, I TOLD YOU THAT SIZZLE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE WRAPPED UP AT 11, BUT PEOPLE ARE STILL INSIDE. MADE IT. HEY, THEY MADE IT. WE MADE IT. EVERYONE’S AT GAZEBO FEST. THIS IS THE ENERGY HERE TODAY. EVERYONE’S JUST EXCITED TO BE OUTSIDE AND CARAY CITY. IT’S A GREAT CITY. IT’S A GREAT CITY, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HERE THAT ARE NEW TODAY. WE GOT A GREAT I’M GOING TO TAKE THIS VIDEO NOW. Y’ALL. YOU KNOW WE HAVEN’T HAD A MUSIC FESTIVAL HERE SINCE FOUR CASTLE AND UH UM, JUST EXCITED TO HEAR THE MUSIC, DANCE WITH MY FRIENDS AND ENJOY THIS BEAUTIFUL DAY. IT’S THE MUSIC FESTIVAL FRANCE FROM LOUISVILLE AND BEYOND HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR JACK CARLOS FIRST GAZEBO FEST ON THE GREEN. IT’S ONE WHERE YOU CAN PLAY CHESS OR SING YOUR HEART OUT WITH THOUSANDS ALONG THE RIVERFRONT, IT BRINGS TOGETHER EVERY CULTURE TO, YOU KNOW, WHITE, BLACK, INDIAN AND ASIAN. IT BRINGS TOGETHER ALL OF US LIKE WE ALL JUST LIKE, HEY, WE JUST HEARD FROM SOME GOOD VIBES AND THEY’LL BE VIBING TO 26 ACTS OVER TWO DAYS. AND OF COURSE, WE HAD TO ASK WHO THEY WERE MOST EXCITED TO HEAR SCISSOR AND VINCE STABLE. I’M EXCITED TO SEE CHANNEL TRECE, OMAR APOLLO AND OBVIOUSLY JACK HARLOW. THOSE WHO CALL LOUISVILLE HOME SAY THIS FESTIVAL IS HELPING PUT THE CITY ON THE MAP. IT ACTUALLY FEELS GREAT BECAUSE WE’RE BRINGING A LOT OF PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THE CITY TO THE CITY. SO IT’S SHOWING THEM WHAT WE HAVE HERE. IT’S BRINGING EVERYBODY TOGETHER AS ONE, AND EVEN PEOPLE LIKE MICHAEL DAVIS, WHO TRAVELED FROM OHIO, FEEL THE SAME. I THINK THAT’S REALLY COOL FOR HIM TO BE LIKE, YO, LIKE, LET’S PUT IT HERE, LET’S NOT PUT IT IN CALI, LET’S NOT PUT IT IN CHICAGO. LET ME PUT IT IN MY HOMETOWN. I THINK THAT’S COOL. ONE OF LOUISVILLE’S HOMETOWN HEROES BRINGING 40,000 PLUS PEOPLE TO THE LOO TO ENJOY LIVE MUSIC, FOOD AND DRINKS FROM LOCAL RESTAURANTS. IT’S ANOTHER ODE TO LOUISVILLE. HARLOW INVITED 14 DIFFERENT LOCALLY OWNED VENDORS TO SHOWCASE THEIR RESTAURANTS. STUFF LIKE THIS. I FEEL LIKE IT MAKES PEOPLE BE ABLE TO WEAR LOUISVILLE WITH A ON THEIR CHEST A LOT MORE PROUD, SO I THINK IT’S DOPE. AND YOU SAW THOSE PEOPLE EARLIER TODAY. THEY WERE JUST VERY PROUD TO BE FROM HERE AND BE HERE IN LOUISVILLE. AND LIKE I SAID, SIZZLE WAS SUPPOSED TO WRAP UP AT 11:00, BUT I THINK SHE IS ENDING RIGHT ABOUT NOW. THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE IN THERE AND SO MANY PEOPLE WERE EXCITED TO SEE, TO SEE SOUSA. AND WE HAVE JACK HARLOW TOMORROW. IT’S A RAIN OR SHINE EVENT. AND I WAS TOLD THAT IF THERE IS SEVERE WEATHER, THEY DO HAVE AN EVACUATION PLAN IN PLACE FOR NOW IN LOUISVILLE, T
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The future of Forecastle Festival: Is it ever coming back?
Forecastle? Hello? Are you there? In the player above: First day of GAZEBO FestivalLouisville's beloved Forecastle Festival has been a loud favorite in the city for decades. But this year, it's silent. The music festival first started in 2002 as a tiny group of artists in Tyler Park. As it grew, it moved to Waterfront Park, and over the years has attracted massive acts and thousands and thousands of fans.In 2022, the branding, bill, dates and overall vibe changed a bit from previous years. After that festival, they announced they'd be taking a "pause" in 2023, saying in part, "There are some things that we want to work on and improve for the future, so we’re going to take some time to strategize and determine the best path forward for the festival.⁣"That message was posted to Facebook in November 2022. And since then, crickets. Social media and website untouched. Flash forward to February 2024, and Louisville gets wind of a new festival, GAZEBO Festival. It used the Forecastle venue space (Waterfront Park), was the same weekend as the 2022 festival (Memorial Day weekend) and was put on by a 2022 headliner (Jack Harlow). News of it had some Forecastle fans jumping back into their social media comments begging for updates. So comes the question, is Forecastle dead? Relocating? Taking another year of pause?With a new festival similar that has similarities to the most recent Forecast and another major festival in the city later in the summer, Bourbon & Beyond, that has a massive lineup filled with acts one would expect to see at older Forecastles, it's hard to imagine where and when it would fit into this year's music scene.And sometime within April or May, the website officially became defunct. WLKY has reached out to the Forecastle media contact, the C3 press team, multiple times with no response. A previous point of contact for Forecastle is now on the team for GAZEBO and referred us to C3 as well. The mayor's office said the Waterfront Park board hasn't heard anything from Forecastle this year, and as far as they know, there are no plans for one there at this point.So, in short, while hope dwindles for a festival this year, there are still no definite answers on its future. But we're still looking for them.

Forecastle? Hello? Are you there?

In the player above: First day of GAZEBO Festival

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Louisville's beloved Forecastle Festival has been a loud favorite in the city for decades. But this year, it's silent.

The music festival first started in 2002 as a tiny group of artists in Tyler Park. As it grew, it moved to Waterfront Park, and over the years has attracted massive acts and thousands and thousands of fans.

In 2022, the branding, bill, dates and overall vibe changed a bit from previous years. After that festival, they announced they'd be taking a "pause" in 2023, saying in part, "There are some things that we want to work on and improve for the future, so we’re going to take some time to strategize and determine the best path forward for the festival.⁣"

That message was posted to Facebook in November 2022. And since then, crickets. Social media and website untouched.

Flash forward to February 2024, and Louisville gets wind of a new festival, GAZEBO Festival. It used the Forecastle venue space (Waterfront Park), was the same weekend as the 2022 festival (Memorial Day weekend) and was put on by a 2022 headliner (Jack Harlow).

News of it had some Forecastle fans jumping back into their social media comments begging for updates.

So comes the question, is Forecastle dead? Relocating? Taking another year of pause?

With a new festival similar that has similarities to the most recent Forecast and another major festival in the city later in the summer, Bourbon & Beyond, that has a massive lineup filled with acts one would expect to see at older Forecastles, it's hard to imagine where and when it would fit into this year's music scene.

And sometime within April or May, the website officially became defunct.

WLKY has reached out to the Forecastle media contact, the C3 press team, multiple times with no response.

A previous point of contact for Forecastle is now on the team for GAZEBO and referred us to C3 as well.

The mayor's office said the Waterfront Park board hasn't heard anything from Forecastle this year, and as far as they know, there are no plans for one there at this point.

So, in short, while hope dwindles for a festival this year, there are still no definite answers on its future. But we're still looking for them.

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