The Forecastle Festival tenth anniversary concert has been shelved for a year with the cancellation of the 2011 concert. Forecastle founder JK McKnight announced Thursday morning that Forecastle will not come to the riverfront again until 2012, and when it returns, things will be different. McKnight has partnered with AC Entertainment, founders of Bonnaroo, and have said that now they don’t have enough time to organize a festival of the same caliber as last year’s.
JK McKnight started Forecastle in Tyler Park in 2002 with a turn out of no more than 200 people for the one-day show. Last year, over 23,000 concert-goers came from 44 states and six countries. Now McKnight is taking a step three years in the making to bring Forecastle to the next level.
Ashley Capps, co-founder and president of AC Entertainment, spoke at a press conference at the Galt House Thursday morning. Capps, one of the largest concert organizers and promoters in the country, said he’s thrilled with the new partnership and has fallen in love with Louisville. However, Capps is taking its native son to Knoxville as McKnight starts his new position as director of national sponsorships for AC.
Louisville is still a priority for both. The Forecastle Festival will be back on the Ohio River for its 10th celebration in 2012 and AC’s hand in the next show should bring big developments. At the press conference McKnight also announced that the fourth annual Halfway to Forecastle concert will be held July 8-9 and about 5,000 people are expected at the multistage event. More information on that should be released soon.
It is clear that this is only the beginning for Forecastle. In the span of a decade the festival has grown to such heights that it generates a good deal of summer business. Of course a hit to the local economy is expected until the stages are resurrected on the riverfront in 2012. Although it may hurt now, it should only be a temporary pain because Forecastle is coming back, and its bringing friends.
Photo: Courtesy Forescastle Festival
