Rockin River Fest won’t return to Merritt in 2023

A family-run country music festival in Merritt won’t take place on B.C. Day weekend in 2023.

Organizers of the Rockin River Fest, a successor to Merritt Mountain Music Fest, cited “a series of economic obstacles” for the decision to cancel the event this coming summer.

Originally held in Mission, Rockin River moved to the shores of the Coldwater River four years after the demise of Merritt Mountain, continuing a tradition in a city that bills itself as the country music capital of Canada.

The festival was set for one of its biggest years ever when country star Keith Urban was scheduled to headline in 2020. Like almost every public party planned that year, it was cancelled due to COVID-19.

The 2019 event featured Jason Aldean, and big acts like Rascal Flatts, Brad Paisley, Lady Antebellum and Willie Nelson have performed over the years.