The Courier-Journal (Louisville)
Freedom Fest will not happen in KY after Trump cancels
After declaring that former President Donald Trump would attend Freedom Fest next month, organizer Eric Deters announced Sunday that Trump wouldn’t come, resulting in the popular Northern Kentucky festival being canceled.
The event in Morning View, Kentucky, about 20 miles south of Cincinnati, has drawn thousands of attendees for the past two years and has been packed with conservative political speakers, food trucks and entertainment for children. Last year, Donald Jr. and Eric Trump revved up the crowd.
Deters said on social media it was a “tough call” to cancel the festival, planned this year for Sept. 9. so those who bought VIP tickets to the event and counted on seeing the former president could get their money back, he said.
The event has been free in the past, but this year VIP seating and a VIP tent drew a price tag. The seating ranged from $100-$2,000 and the tent tickets were going for $5,000. As of Monday morning, fewer than 150 had purchased tickets in an area meant to seat over 1,000 people, according to a ticketing website for the event.
Deters said Trump bowed out of the event because he is campaigning in Iowa, which is why Freedom Fest won’t happen – not because Attorney General and Republican governor candidate Daniel Cameron also said he wouldn’t attend.
The cancellation is the latest hit to Deters whose law license was suspended in 2021 and who pleaded guilty in March to a misdemeanor for chasing down his nephew after he was flipped the middle finger. He also lost his run for governor in the May primary, garnering 6% of the vote and coming in fourth.