OTTAWA, Ont. — Capital Hoedown is a no-down.

The troubled country music festival has officially been cancelled, confirming what many ticket holders had been expecting for weeks.

In an emailed statement, organizer Denis Benoit said the death knell for the three-day festival was the City rejecting the location permit for the new site in Stittsville, although the City says the issue was potential zoning by-law violations. Benoit added that higher than expected costs from City Hall, upfront production expenses and lower than anticipated ticket sales combined with intense media attention were also factors in the cancellation.

Ticket holders should expect their money returned directly to their credit cards within the next few days, almost a week after refund cheques were supposed to be arriving in mailboxes.

Calling it a “challenging year” but a learning experience, Benoit said he is committed to bringing the festival back next year and will “take the time to put all the necessary steps in place to ensure for a smooth and successful festival in 2013.” This despite admitting that the issues this year created what he called “a confidence issue among ticket buyers and supporters.”

In the email accompanying the statement, Benoit said he would not be speaking to media “for legal reasons, and based on the volume of lawsuits being filed against numerous local media and individuals for untrue, defamatory and injurious statements towards the festival.”