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Howard County officials work to bring 'Woodstock 50' to Maryland

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball says county leaders are working with festival organizers and the Merriweather Post Pavilion to bring Woodstock to Columbia.

WASHINGTON — The troubled Woodstock 50th anniversary festival is reportedly now going to be held later this summer in Columbia, Md. 

Bloomberg reports it will take place Aug. 16-18 at the Merriweather Post Pavilion, an outdoor amphitheater there. 

Howard County officials confirmed at a press conference Thursday evening that they were indeed working with Woodstock 50 organizers and Merriweather Post Pavilion to bring the event there.

"We're accustomed to having concerts that have tens of thousands of visitors at a time," Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, said.

No performers or date for the festival have been announced. However, Ball said the county was looking at the logistics of the events and was hopeful it could happen sometime in Mid-August.

"The Woodstock 50 promoters reached out to Merriweather Post and we are just supporting them," he said. "We want to make sure that we are strong partners."

According to Bloomberg, the organizers of Woodstock 50 have been "scrambling to save the festival" after their financial backers bailed and upstate New York officials wouldn't approve their permits. 

The New York Times reported Woodstock organizers tried to reschedule the 50th anniversary festival elsewhere in upstate New York, before being rejected by the town of Vernon, Ny. earlier this week. 

RELATED: Another Woodstock 50 problem: Jay-Z pulls out, AP source says

The question of who will perform if Howard County is able to pull off Woodstock 50 is also in question. The Associated Press reported Friday Jay Z pulled out of the event, as well as John Fogerty. Fogerty performed at the original event 50 years ago. 

"Woodstock 50 approached Merriweather about hosting their event here in Columbia, Md.,” said Seth Hurwitz, chairman of I.M.P. and owner of the 9:30 Club and The Anthem and operator of Merriweather Post Pavilion in a statement Friday morning. "The Woodstock folks are working on securing the artists now. If the bands come, we’ll produce the show. We’re looking forward to getting an update as soon as Woodstock 50 has one.”

Ball said he believes Columbia is the perfect place for Woodstock to happen. 

"In 1969, a farmer with a vision made history, bringing us together under the banner of ‘Peace & Music’. Around the same time, the town of Columbia was founded here in Howard County with the same shared values of inclusion and communal love," Ball said in a statement Friday afternoon. "Fifty years later, it feels like the perfect fit to bring a world-class festival to our world-class city."

He noted county officials are in the process of completing the permit process, and mentioned Howard County's other big concerts like Virgin FreeFest and JazzFest as examples of previous successes at Merriweather.

This story has been updated.

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