COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa — Organizers have canceled Loessfest 2019 due to the recent Missouri River flooding and the conditions out at Tom Hanafan River's Edge Park.
They say the summer forecast for the Missouri River also factored into the decision.
Loessfest has traditionally kicked off the summer season with a free, family-friendly festival during Memorial Day weekend.
This year, officials announced the decision to postone the festival to Labor Day weekend hoping the park would be dry.
“Cancelling Loessfest was not an easy decision to make. We know it has become a summer tradition for many of our residents,” Mayor Matt Walsh said. “The Missouri River has begun to recede and is not posing a threat to our levees. However, it is forecasted to remain at a level that leaves River Road, and the western edge of the park, flooded all summer.”
Since its start, Loessfest has drawn more than 200,000 people from all over the region to Council Bluffs.
In the absence of Loessfest, the City of Council Bluffs plans to hold a different community-wide celebration at Bayliss Park on August 31 over the Labor Day weekend.
