Strawberry Festival: No “circumstances presented” to return to Mather, at least for now

“With the announcement of the Spring 2015 Festival at the Nevada County Fairgrounds, many of you are wondering if and when we will return to Camp Mather,” the Strawberry Music Festival organizers said on Thursday.

“At this point, we cannot say if this exodus, from our festival home of over 30 years, is temporary or permanent. While we will not rule out a return to our beloved Mather, no circumstances have been presented that would allow us to do that at this time.

“Charged with the responsibility of preserving the Strawberry tradition for future generations, we are not in a position to be put off, mislead or forced to fight.

“Last year we beat the odds when we were granted the federal disaster relief loan, issued refunds and exchanges for Fall 2013 tickets, and produced the Fall 2014 Festival in Grass Valley, despite the lack of cooperation we received from officials at San Francisco’s Recreation and Parks Department.

“As we search for our mountain home, we must be able to trust venue management to communicate honestly and work with us instead of against us.

“Wherever we go and however long it takes, we are committed to providing the finest festival experience possible that is accessible to all ages and abilities. In the meantime, we are making our best effort to get Spring tickets on sale before Christmas and look forward to making a very big lineup announcement soon! Please stay tuned and stay positive!”