‘Desert Daze’ music fest in Lake Perris canceled due to high costs, low sales

Desert Daze, an annual music festival on the shores of Lake Perris in the fall, has been canceled because of ballooning costs and low ticket sales, organizers confirmed today.

"We are heartbroken to announce that `Desert Daze' ... is canceled,'' according to a statement released on the Desert Daze fest website. "Due to rising production costs and the current volatile festival market, it is no longer possible to execute the weekend as planned. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for your support."  

The fest is one of two traditionally held at the Lake Perris State Recreation Area. The other, "Same Same But Different," is still on schedule for the weekend of Sept. 27-29, and will feature a host of mellow jams bands.   

Desert Daze typically features arena-style rock, as well as jazz and electronica.

The fest's organizers said ticket sales were in a trough this year and didn't reach the number needed to cover expenses for the celebration, which had been slated for Oct. 10-13.

"Desert Daze is more than a festival or business venture to us," organizers said. "The community that we've cultivated together means so much to us and is the reason we will continue to work to find a way to keep this beautiful thing going for many years to come.''

Ticket holders for this year's fest will be refunded their purchases. More information is available at https://desertdaze.org/.