The festival organizers have stated that unforeseen circumstances have driven the need to take the summer of 2012 off, and insist that plans are underway for a large scale festival event for 2013.

The Big Up Music & Arts festival held on July 28, 29 and 30, 2011, at Sunnyview Farm in Ghent, New York, attracted some 5,000 festival-goers from all over the country, featured a revolutionary mix of live entertainment, arts and activities. Over 70 musical acts from all over the world performed throughout the three-day event including Big Gigantic, EOTO (featuring String Cheese Incident players Michael Travis and Jason Hann), Tipper, Abakus, Digital Tape Machine (featuring Joel Cummins and Kris Myers of Umphrey's McGee), RAQ, Ott and Marco Benevento.

The following statement was released by the festival organizers on The Big Up Music and Arts Festival website and Facebook page today:

"Dear Friends and family of The Big Up and Shireworks Productions:

It is with much disappointment that we must announce that The Big Up will be taking an unexpected hiatus this year. However, in the face of this disappointment, we maintain the position that sacrifices must be made in order to keep an eye on the bigger picture.

As a festival, we couldn't have been happier with TBU 2011, and we have you, the fans and the family to thank for making it as magical as we all remember. The fact of the matter is that there are factors beyond our control that have forced us to make a very difficult decision.

Like many great festivals and events in history have had to do- we are taking this hiatus for 2012, so that we may come back stronger in 2013!

The Big Up was and is about letting yourself be taken by the current of our beautiful community and culture and enjoying every minute of the ride, not swimming against it. We all experienced something very special in the last two summers, and it will not be forgotten over the next one.

As an extended family was solidified in the woods, on the fields, and in front of the four stages at Sunnyview Farm, and as the last beautiful notes rang out when the sun began to rise that Sunday morning, it may have felt like the magic was coming to an end, however, it was just beginning of something greater to come.

Trust us when we say that we are a family and we aren't going anywhere. The Big Up will continue to grow, as every long-lost stranger feels that magical moment when they become a piece of something greater than the sum of it's parts.

With that in mind, we are already working on plans for The Big Up 2013, and we are very enthusiastic to have an opportunity for a head start on next year.

We look forward to sharing some Big Up moments with you over the next year as we reminisce of the memory of 2011 with the release of music downloads of memorable sets and a documentary DVD from TBU 2011.