CHARLOTTE, N.C. Days after word that the Rock the Red 2012 festival for conservatives had been cancelled, organizers say the event will go on in a new location.
According to a Facebook page for the event, the festival is expected to be held Wednesday at Hunter Farms in Weddington.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Ariz., and U.S. Rep. Mick Mulvaney, R-S.C., are listed as expected speakers during the event, and organizers said on the site that some local and conservative bands are still set to perform.
Tickets cost $5 for most attendees, but the event is free for kids 12 and under and current and past members of the military, according to the website.
The Charlotte festival which organizers say they hoped would provide an alternative voice during the Democratic National Convention was originally set to be held at the 11,000-seat Bojangles Coliseum. But on Thursday, officials announced that the event had been cancelled.
A spokeswoman from the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, which manages the coliseum, said event organizers did not meet financial obligations outlined in a contract granting them use of the facility, according to NewsChannel 36, the Observers news partner.
But an attorney for Rock the Red faulted Ticketmaster for not displaying the event as a concert and said the ticketing service called it a Republican event when he said it wasnt affiliated with the party. Organizers also said the CRVA dropped the ball on marketing the event.
Rock the Red was expected to draw both national speakers and musical acts. Originally, country music acts Charlie Daniels, Travis Tritt and Lee Brice were set to perform but they have since withdrawn.
Organizers said Thursday that they hoped to find a way to still hold the Wednesday festival.
On Saturday, messages began appearing online that the event is on.
The @RockTheRed EVENT IS NOT CANCELLED, began a Twitter message sent overnight to local media.
In messages posted on the Rock the Red website and social media accounts, organizers thanked people for their support in recent days.
We are working tirelessly to make this event worthwhile and better than expected, organizers state in a letter on Rockthered.com.