In its six years of operation, the Rockin’ River Music Festival (RRMF) has become a well known and respected musical event for B.C. country music fans.
While RRMF has been based in Mission since 2009, festival organizers felt it was time for a change.
After many months of consideration and countless hours of consultation with fans, industry and management officials, organizers say steady growth of the festival and the limitations of Mission Raceway Park have necessitated the festival’s relocation to a more-appropriate venue.
Yesterday (Oct. 16), RRMF president Kenny Hess announced Rockin’ River Musicfest will move to Merritt as of 2015.
“After considering many locations and
listening to our fan base, we are very excited to announce that Rockin’ River Productions will be moving the festival to Merritt,” Hess said.
“This is a natural choice as Merritt is not only the home of a very well-established festival site and the home of the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, it also known as the Country Music Capital of Canada and is located right in the heart of B.C.”
Hess added that, with Merritt’s easy highway access from all four directions, the move gives the entire province a destination well within reach.
Geography is just one reason for moving the festival to Merritt.
The site is a well-established festival ground, with almost unlimited camping facilities and permanent structures designed to service all the needs of thousands of country-music fans who will come
to Merritt for their summer country-music fix.
The sheer size of the venue will allow RRMF to expand the festival’s fan-driven events and change the dates of the show to the B.C. Day long weekend.
The 2015 festival will run from Thursday, July 30, through Sunday, Aug. 3.
Rockin’ River organizers believe this move will help RRMF become the destination event of the summer. While moving away from Mission and into the original home of the Merritt Mountain Festival, RRMF is intent on retaining the family-friendly event’s atmosphere.
Rockin’ River Muscifest has steadily grown in its six years in Mission from humble beginnings to the point that it has hosted approximately 26,000 to its three-day event at Mission Raceway Park.
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