After a decade, Picktown Palooza is ending. The July anniversary celebration is now the Pickerington music festival’s ending chapter.
Panger Productions, the nonprofit behind the event, announced the decision Oct. 22. Its board of directors voted to end the festival following the July 9-11 celebration, according to a news release. Organizers did not give a reason for the decision.
“Picktown Palooza was never just about the music,” founder and Panger Productions President Chris Stein said in the release. “It was about bringing people together, creating lasting memories, supporting our community, and building something we could all be proud of.”
Launched in 2017, the festival brought national recording artists, local businesses and nonprofit organizations
together for a summer event highlighting Pickerington and Violet Township.
Its first year nearly ended before organizers could establish that tradition. Flooding disrupted the inaugural festival, forcing them to move the remaining festivities to another location, according to the release.
The event continued to grow, drawing thousands of attendees annually and visitors from outside Ohio, organizers said. Panger Productions said its charitable efforts generated tens of thousands of dollars in contributions to local organizations and causes over the festival’s run.
The Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce named Panger Productions its Nonprofit of the Year in 2025, according to the release.
This year’s final festival featured 10 bands across three days, with Buckcherry, BulletBoys and L.A. Guns headlining. Other attractions included the Freedom 5K, a car, truck and bike show and Business Showcase Row.
In announcing the closure, Stein credited the volunteer board, hundreds of volunteers, sponsors, vendors, public safety workers and attendees with sustaining the event.
“We are deeply grateful to everyone who believed in our vision and helped make Picktown Palooza what it became,” he said.
Trending reporter Amani Bayo can be reached at abayo@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Picktown Palooza ends 10-year run after final summer festival
