Pickathon Has Been Canceled and Cannot Offer Refunds

It was really only a matter of time, but now it's confirmed: Pickathon has been officially called off.

The announcement follows Gov. Kate Brown's cancellation of all large public gatherings in Oregon through September.

"The impact of COVID-19 on Pickathon is devastating," organizers wrote in a press release. "We hope to emerge with something even more lasting and meaningful, but we'll have to work together to keep this dream alive."

The annual music festival, held every summer in the woods surrounding Pendarvis Farm in Happy Valley, had been scheduled to take place July 30-Aug. 2.

The festival began slowly announcing performers in late February. In April, folk legend John Prine, one of the festival's headliners, died due to complications from COVID-19.

In a statement, organizers write that they cannot offer refunds.

"The tickets sold to date do not cover the costs already incurred in our year-round planning," the statement reads. "At the end of each of our 21 years of operation, we typically break even; we have no safety net."

Instead, ticketholders can choose to transfer tickets to a future edition of the festival or "gift" the tickets to Pickathon LLC. The festival has also established an "emergency refund request form" for those experiencing "extreme hardship that is an imminent threat to your financial security."

Ticketholders have until June 10, 2020, to decide which option they prefer; otherwise, tickets will automatically be gifted to the festival.

It has been a difficult year for the festival even before the cancellation: In February, Pickathon and Portland fabric company GuildWorks were fined by state regulators for safety violations that resulted in the death of two workers breaking down the festival last summer.