A music festival that appeared, seemingly out of a soggy nowhere, on the shore of Lake Koocanusa last July, will be returning – but in September.

Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) board of directors April 4 approved a Special Event Licence for FozzyFest 2014, which will be held Sept. 18-22 at Big Springs Campground on the eastern shore of Lake Koocanusa in ?akinkum+asnuq+?it – (Tobacco Plains).

RDEK Electoral Area B Director Heath Slee said he opted to support the event when organizers changed the dates to September because it is a “time of year when most of the campgrounds have been vacated.”

The chief concern about the festival last year was noise, Slee said, adding, “I am sure there will be a few complaints as to the noise level but we’re willing to give this a try this year.

Slee added that FozzyFest organizers “left the area spotlessly clean last year.”

The lone director to oppose the issuance of a Special Event Licence was Electoral Area G Director Gerry Wilkie.

Pointing out that Newgate is “directly across the lake,” Wilkie said noise concerns must be considered.

“I think we are regressing as a species when we sanction these things. It’s something we really have to evaluate over time,” he said.

District of Invermere Mayor and board director Gerry Taft said weekend festivals such as FozzyFest can lead to in-migration, citing how many people currently residing in the Columbia Valley were first introduced to the area by the once famous Sunshine Ranch May long weekend benders and the Boogie Bashes once held in downtown Invermere and the loss lamented old Lakeside Inn.

Images from: fozzyfest.com

Ian Cobb/e-KNOW

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