I am thoroughly upset about the cancellation of Heber’s Bonanza Campout music festival. The organizers of the festival were given no choice but to cancel the event.
Denying a music festival, which was trying to gain national popularity, the right to sell alcohol is like telling a Mexican restaurant they can serve chips but not salsa. It doesn’t work.
For a small-scale festival in Heber, the Bonanza turnout is huge. People come from all over to experience great music around beautiful scenery. There isn’t anything quite like it. The denial of alcohol is just wrong.
My main concern with the cancellation of the festival is the clear lack of understanding the state of Utah and the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control have of music festivals.
This isn’t just your run-of-the-mill concert. People come for an experience like they’ve never had before. Three days of enjoying life and freeing yourself from the sometimes harshness of reality.
Alcohol plays a huge role in music festivals’ success. It allows people to overcome their own self-analysis and fully immerse themselves into the moment. For most people, the slight alteration of mental state gives way to a truly unforgettable experience.
I feel for the organizers greatly.
Kyle Mulick, Bellingham, Wash.
