COLUMBIA Mo. (KMIZ)
Less than a month after the owners of Treeline Music Fest announced 2023’s event will not take place, the production group has announced it is dissolving because it has too much debt.
Trio Presents, LLC, is the production group behind the Treeline Music Fest, previously known as the Roots N Blues Festival.
ABC 17 News learned Tuesday that attorneys for Trio Presents sent a letter to the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau on Friday notifying them that the company will be dissolved, saying, “Trio’s secured debts far exceed its assets and there is no money available to distribute to unsecured creditors.”
The letter, signed by attorney Gary Pierson with Capes Sokol Attorneys at Law out of St. Louis, goes on to state, “We understand that this is unwelcome news and Trio regrets putting you and all other creditors in this position, but simply has no other options.”
The director of the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau, Amy Schneider, wrote in an email that the letter has been sent to the city’s law department.
The festival, originally scheduled to take place Sept. 29-Oct. 1, was canceled on Aug. 31. The letter states Trio Presents looked into many options to get funding for this year’s event but determined cancellation was unavoidable.
Schneider said an agreement signed by the city and Trio Presents states organizers have 30 days from cancellation to repay sponsorship dollars from the CVB.
A Facebook post made by the company in August also stated people who had purchased tickets would begin receiving refunds in 30 days, which would be Saturday.
Trio Presents and the City of Columbia did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday morning.
Check back as this story is developing.
