Jeep Cancels 48Straight Winter Event

By Courtney Lowery, 11-19-08

Ketchum Mayor Randy Hall this week confirmed an earlier report that the 48Straight winter sports and music event is canceled for this season and that Jeep caused the cancellation by pulling its support.

Hall verified the speculation at a meeting Monday.

“It doesn’t take a brain surgeon or the mayor of a small town to realize what’s going on in the auto industry,” Hall said.

Jeep is trying to cut costs wherever it can, Hall said, and that means the festival, a boon for Sun Valley, is out. “Unfortunately, we are also a victim of the national economic downturn.”

48Straight’s winter series, billed as the Loudest Show on Snow, was in its 3rd year in Sun Valley. Last year, the festival also took place in Telluride and Squaw Valley.