Trillium Health will refund vendors and attendees who purchased tickets online for Saturday's Rochester Pride Festival after severe weather forced organizers to end the event early.
The nonprofit announced Tuesday that refunds will be available for small businesses and community organizations that registered to table at the festival, as well as people who purchased general admission or VIP tickets online.
The festival at Highland Park was canceled before its scheduled end after thunderstorms, lightning and flash flooding moved into the area. Organizers said they made the decision in coordination with city and county emergency officials after determining the approaching storms posed a safety risk.
"Every decision was made in real time based on the conditions at that moment, with the safety of attendees, volunteers, vendors, performers, staff, and community members as our highest priority," Trillium said in a statement.
The cancellation drew criticism from some vendors, who questioned why the festival moved forward despite forecasts calling for severe weather and poor air quality from Canadian wildfire smoke.
Trillium said it will not reschedule the event, citing the complexity of organizing a festival of its size.
"While we wish we could reschedule, the logistical requirements of producing an event of this scale make it impossible," the organization said.
Refunds are available only for vendors and attendees who purchased tickets online. Trillium said it cannot issue refunds to people who paid cash at the gate because Rochester Pride is operated by a nonprofit, and event proceeds are reinvested into grants supporting LGBTQ+ education and programming throughout the community.
Information on how to request a refund is available on Trillium Health's Rochester Pride website.
