Newburgh Illuminated is a festival that draws thousands of people to the Newburgh area. This year, though, it has been canceled due to logistical conflicts between the city and event organizers.

Small businesses in the area say the cancellation is a major disappointment, but they’re coming together to make the best of it.

Matt Frohman, co-owner of The Spirits Lab, is just one of a few business owners on Liberty Street that has benefited from Newburgh Illuminated.

“Not only is it just a fun, amazing event to attend, it brings tons of thousands of people here for the event, which was filled with all sorts of vendors and food and music. It's just a phenomenal event that brings people together,” said Frohman.

But the news of the cancellation of Newburgh Illuminated disappointed many small business owners in the area.

“It's tough. It's tough because all of us put in an enormous amount of time,” said Frohman.

Frohman says he and his team members already did months of prep to try and make this event happen.

“We start prepping for this event probably first quarter of the year, and it continues. And when you pull the plug on an event like this, it's where you left and we decided that we would continue doing what we were planning on doing which was provide music, entertainment vendors, obviously, beverages as well,” said Frohman.

Amanda Dana, the Orange County director of tourism, says festivals like this help bring people and dollars in.

“It's devastating for tourism, because not only are businesses thriving when people come to events, but it's creating awareness about the possibilities of Newburgh and how great hits become, and by canceling an event, it doesn't send a good message out to the community about tourism in general for the city of Newburgh,” said Dana.

That is why Frohman, with other small businesses along Liberty Street, are organizing their own festival in an attempt to try and salvage the situation and desire for activities.

“It still brings a lot of businesses and small businesses together, as well as bringing people together [in a] diverse crowd, which is what has been our plan all along,” said Frohman.