SPRUCE PINE — The 2020 Toe Jam Rocktoberfest Music Festival is canceled, Event Organizer Jimmy Hinshaw said in a Facebook live video on Friday, Sept. 4.
“We really wanted to put on this great event,” Hinshaw said. “Unfortunately, this year it’s not in the cards.”
The festival took place in downtown Spruce Pine in the summer of 2019 and was originally scheduled to return on Labor Day weekend 2020.
The festival was then pushed back to Saturday, Oct. 24 in Spruce Pine Riverside Park and took on the Rocktoberfest name.
The 2020 edition of Toe Jam was slated to introduce new artists, including country artists, to the festival lineup.
Hinshaw said he has been in contact with all of the bands that were scheduled to play. He hopes to see most, if not all, return for the 2021 event.
Hinshaw said while the cancelation of this year’s event is disappointing, he has some optimism behind his hopes to soon begin the transition of the Toe Jam organization into a nonprofit organization.
Hinshaw said he envisions the organization raising funds through future festivals to put toward a scholarship program for students to use at Mayland Community College, Penland School of Craft or to pursue a musical degree.
Hinshaw reiterated that the decision to cancel has nothing to do with influence from the Town of Spruce Pine.
“I know a lot of you are going to be pretty upset,” Hinshaw said. “I’m upset. Everyone with the town wanted to put this on. I didn’t want any negative fallout. I would not feel good about myself if someone came to the event and got sick or hurt.”
Hinshaw said he still hopes to hold a New Year’s Eve party later this year, featuring some local music. More details, he said, will be released at a later date.