A MAGA festival featuring Kid Rock has been canceled just days before it was set to happen, after organizer Eric Deters sold only six of the $1,000 VIP tickets he was counting on to pay for it.
Patriots Day Freedom Fest was scheduled for Saturday, September 26, on Deters’ farm in Morning View, Kentucky, about 25 miles south of Cincinnati. Deters, 63, is a former Republican candidate for Kentucky governor who goes by the nickname “Bulldog.” He announced the cancellation in a Facebook video on Monday.
The money never added up. General admission and parking were free, so the entire event was riding on VIP sales. Deters planned to sell 100 VIP tickets at $1,000 each, which would have brought in $100,000 to cover speakers, staging and everything else. Six people bought one. That is $6,000.
Deters said he built the plan around the wealthy people he deals with on a regular basis, people he says he has done countless favors for over the years. When it was time for them to show up, he said some ignored him and others made excuses like being out of town.
He did not hold back. “I am never ever, ever, ever, ever doing this event again,” Deters said. He added that none of those people would get another favor from him and that they no longer have “Bulldog immunity.” He also said rich people only want to make more money, then clarified that he is rich himself but believes the cause matters more than the cash.
The MAGA festival lineup included Kid Rock, reality star Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman, Kentucky Congressman James Comer and Fox News contributor Joe Concha. Kid Rock’s name drew the headlines, but he was only added to the event five days before it was canceled. He was booked to speak, not perform, and a statement on his behalf said he has no other ties to the event.
This is not the first time Freedom Fest has fallen apart. Deters launched it in 2022 and canceled the 2023 edition after Trump pulled out. It returned in 2024 with Donald Trump Jr., and past events have also featured Eric Trump and Candace Owens, drawing thousands of attendees.
Hours after his first video, Deters posted a second one pushing back on the national coverage. He said MAGA supporters always turn out for the event and that the real problem was paying for a festival he offers for free.
Either way, he says the MAGA festival is done for good and he has no plans to bring it back.
