Features
Ore. Fest Canceled Over Facebook Post
The Festival of Eugene, in celebration of the central Oregon city, has been canceled in the wake of an allegedly racist comment made on the event’s Facebook page by its lead organizer.
Krysta Albert, who launched the free event in 2014 after Kesey Enterprises ended the longtime Eugene Celebration the same year, told Eugene’s Register-Guard she believes her now-deleted Facebook account was hacked.
A Eugene resident left a Facebook comment that was followed with a reply from an account purported to be Albert’s, saying, “U R exactly why we call you people (n-words).”
The Festival of Eugene’s Facebook page was deleted in the aftermath of the controversy, and its website now shows only a placeholder page for its service provider. Albert denied the allegations and told Eugene Weekly that the Festival, which reportedly sought $35,000 in donations in addition to sponsorships and volunteers, is lawyering up.
“Recent Facebook posts have subject our event to speculation and allegations,” Albert wrote to the Weekly. “The recent posts are under review by Facebook and our Facebook administrators. “It is always good to keep in mind social media is fertile ground for drama and speculation.”