One of Northern Kentucky’s largest near-annual conservative political events has been canceled.
Eric Deters, the organizer of Patriots Day Freedom Fest, announced in a Facebook video that he was canceling the event due to a lack of VIP ticket sales. The event was slated for this Saturday, Sept. 26, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Deters’ farm in Morning View. The event was notable for drawing national political figures to rural Kenton County.
“When I put together Patriots Day Freedom Fest, I put it together with the game plan and the idea that I could pay for it with VIP sales of $1,000 from these hundred people that I interact with on a regular basis that have money,” Deters said in the video.
Promotional materials for Patriots Day Freedom Fest listed several conservative political figures and celebrities as scheduled guests, including Kid Rock, U.S. Rep. James Comer of Kentucky’s 1st Congressional District, Republican congressional candidate Ed Gallrein, reality television personality Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman and Fox News contributor Joe Concha, among others.
The first Patriots Day Freedom Fest was held in 2022. The event did not return the following year after then-former President Donald Trump withdrew, according to Deters. Freedom Fest resumed in 2024, with Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., headlining the event. The event has previously featured several prominent media figures such as Candace Owens, Eric Trump, Kimberly Guilfoyle and Tomi Lahren.
Deters, a former Northern Kentucky attorney and Republican gubernatorial candidate in 2023, said he has no plans to revive the event in the future.
