July has arrived and, in a normal year, many would be gearing up for FloydFest but not this year.

FloydFest 2023 is cancelled this year because of problems trying to locate to the new site in the Locust Grove area of Floyd County, which has turned into a “not in our backyard” debate that also involves claims of endangered species.

This year also brought an end to the involvement of the last remaining co-founders to the event, Kris Hodges, who was sent packing by the new folks in charge. The loss of Kris also puts a damper on the festival’s ability to book good acts for the event.

Many point to FloydFest’s large economic impact on the community, especially with the planned move to the county and the large influx of sales tax revenue. I covered the first 15 years of FloydFest for The Floyd Press, but withdrew after a motorcycle accident limited the mobility needed to cover events scattered over several acres in a week’s period each July.

Hopefully, the conflicting issues can be worked out and FloydFest will return by 2024 and beyond. I shot a lot of photos and video over the years. Some of the photos are displayed here, along with a video. I may post more as July continues.

Let’s hope FloydFest returns.