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'Welcome to Rockville' festival leaving Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — After nine years at Metropolitan Park, Welcome to Rockville will be moving to the Daytona International Speedway in 2020, according to festival organizers.

"I love my hometown, and I’m really proud of what Rockville accomplished in its nine years in Jacksonville," festival organizer Danny Wimmer said. "Unfortunately, there was no longer a space at Metropolitan Park for us to deliver the kind of festival experience that Florida’s rock fans deserve."

The move to the Daytona International Speedway follows a recent $400 million renovation of the venue. The Speedway will be able to accomodate even larger crowds than the past few years' 90,000-plus attendees.

"I’m excited to have a larger site to work with that allows us the room to continue growing the festival experience," Wimmer said. "I hope all of our Jacksonville friends will join us in this next phase of Welcome To Rockville’s evolution.”

“With the up and coming development around the sports complex, mainly the construction involving the Hart's Bridge overpass, we understand the need to move Welcome to Rockville to Daytona in 2020," City spokeswoman Nikki Kimbleton said. "However, we look forward to working with the promoters and bringing it back home to Jacksonville and the new and improved facilities in 2021.”

Rockville's tenth year will take place May 8 through 10, 2020. For more information, go to Welcome to Rockville's website.

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