Eric Deters, the organizer of Patriots Day Freedom Fest, recently announced the cancellation of the free event, which featured Kid Rock as its headliner, after only six $1,000 VIP tickets were sold. Deters shared his frustration regarding the lack of support in a video posted on Facebook.
The statement focused on Deters’ disappointment with wealthy individuals he expected to support the festival.
“When I put together Patriots Day Freedom Fest, I put it together with the game plan and the idea that I could pay for it with VIP sales of $1,000 from these 100 people that I interact with on a regular basis,” Deters said.
He explained that many of those he reached out to ignored him or made excuses.
“I do countless favors for these people,” Deters continued. “These people — some of them — I got ignored!… Then there’s a group of people that made an excuse, like, ‘Oh, I was traveling.’ Like their phone doesn’t work while traveling. I even took the special test of giving some of them a hard time.”
Deters concluded with a strong statement about his future plans for the event.
“I want to tell you something, rich people, as a whole, suck,” Deters added. “I am never ever, ever, ever, ever doing this event again. Ever.”
Kid Rock has not yet commented on the cancellation of the festival. Let’s see if there are further updates.
The promoter behind the canceled festival is a familiar figure in Kentucky politics and media, which gives additional context to the announcement. Eric Deters is a Northern Kentucky attorney, radio host, and political commentator who spent four years as an evening and weekend host at 700 WLW, where he served as a backup for two-time Marconi Award winner Bill Cunningham. He is also a former candidate for Kenton County Attorney and a Republican gubernatorial candidate in 2023, with experience as an attorney, media personality, business owner, and author.
The event itself was planned in detail before it fell apart days ahead of its scheduled date. Patriots Day Freedom Fest was set for Sept. 26, 2026, at Deters’ farm in Morning View, Kentucky, roughly 25 miles south of Cincinnati. The gathering was billed as a free conservative festival, but its funding model depended entirely on selling 100 VIP packages at $1,000 each.
The lineup extended well beyond its headliner. Speakers and guests also included Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman, Rep. James Comer, Ed Gallrein, and Joe Concha. Deters had promoted the festival as the “best MAGA event,” and it had been held annually since its debut in 2022.
Kid Rock’s connection to the festival was shorter than many may assume. A representative said the musician was added only five days before the cancellation and had been booked to speak rather than perform. Deters also stated that the cancellation had “absolutely nothing to do” with Kid Rock, stressing that the failure to sell enough VIP tickets was the sole reason behind the decision.
Reaction to the news spread quickly across local and national outlets. Deters, a former Northern Kentucky attorney and 2023 Republican gubernatorial candidate, said he has no plans to revive the event in the future. Media coverage largely framed the outcome as a setback for a MAGA-aligned festival, with several outlets highlighting the gap between the event’s ambitions and the handful of tickets it managed to sell.
