The news nobody wants to hear; the music festival you were looking forward to gets canceled. This is the case of Mamby On The Beach, which under unfortunate circumstances had no option other than to cancel the festival.
In a statement released online, Mamby organizers state that “unforeseen issues include significantly higher than average waters of Lake Michigan eliminating the beach portion of our site. Additionally, our original footprint was affected by the presence of Great Lakes Piping Plover shorebirds, a federally protected species.”
After weeks of negotiation between festival organizers, Chicago Park District and animal rights activists, festival organizers had to give up Montrose Beach to the Great Lakes Piping Plover shorebirds, given the time frame to find a new location.
Before this occurred, all had been well and the festival was still set to take place on August 23 and 24. That is until three Piping Plover eggs hatched on the beach. Piping plovers are incredibly uncommon breeders in the area, therefore, precautions need to be taken in order to keep the birds in a safe environment.
Another reason Mamby canceled is due to the dangerously high water levels in Lake Michigan. Water levels are between 30 to 35 inches higher than in previous years. This is a risk for people in and out of the water, especially at a festival like Mamby On The Beach.
All there is to do now is look back on the lineup that never happened. Those who have purchased tickets for the festival will be refunded the money paid in 5-10 business days.
