Cactus Jacks will not attend this weekend’s Smoky Hill River Festival after the owners were informed that power is not expected to be restored at the Salina KOA campground until Friday.

The Nebraska-based food vendor told Salina311 that the campground power outage was the primary reason for its cancellation. The owners had planned to stay at the campground during the festival.

Cactus Jacks also said it knows of several other people who are no longer coming to Salina because they reserved recreational vehicles or campground accommodations at locations that remain without power.

The food vendor has attended the Smoky Hill River Festival every year since 2021, the year after the 2020 festival season. The owners said they look forward to returning next year.

Cactus Jacks will instead operate at several locations in Nebraska from Thursday through Sunday. Its menu includes craft burgers, smoked meats, nachos, Jack Mac, Philly sandwiches, brats, hot dogs and other items.

While Cactus Jacks has canceled, several other food vendors have confirmed to Salina311 that they remain prepared to participate.

Chapmans Take Away Food Truck confirmed that it had arrived at Oakdale Park Wednesday evening and was still planning to open with the festival.

“Many people [are] working hard to get set up and ready to open at 4 Thursday,” Chapmans told Salina311. “We all hope for a great weekend for all.”

Chapmans said numerous familiar food vendors were already at the park, with trucks lining both sides of the vendor entry route while waiting to reach their assigned locations.

The business also noted that several participating vendors are from the Salina area and have spent recent days addressing storm damage at their own homes.

“Maybe the weekend will be a much-needed break,” Chapmans said.

Kings Candy Shop also confirmed to Salina311 that it is still planning to attend the festival.

Tickled Pink Drinks said it had completed setup Wednesday and plans to operate during the festival’s scheduled hours.

“We have just finished setting up and plan to be open at the scheduled times,” the business told Salina311. “We’re so sorry to hear what happened to your lovely city, but we will be there to brighten everyone’s spirits.”

Festival crews continued guiding vendors into Oakdale Park Wednesday following what Chapmans described as a difficult start to the setup process.

The Smoky Hill River Festival is scheduled to open at 4 p.m. Thursday at Oakdale Park and continue through Sunday.