COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Columbus Symphony Orchestra's Picnic With The Pops was a summer tradition for Central Ohio. Thousands of families came to listen to the orchestra's music under the stars, NBC 4 reported.

Chemical Abstracts Service's amphitheatre will be silent after 25 years.

The board, after dealing with several years of $2- to $3-million deficits and a lack of a contract with its musicians, said operation will cease Saturday, May 31.

Musicians said fund-raising and lack of a large endowment should have been addressed long ago, and the board said it's time to operate within its means.

"What's been missing the past six years is strong advocacy from the board leadership," Douglas Fisher said. Fisher is the president of the Central Ohio Federation of Musicians. "Someone has to go out and sell the orchestra and convince the corporate and private leaders why an orchestra is good for the city. It hasn't happened the past six years."

"I do think there could be more support from the community, but that won't be available until we stop running multi-million-dollar deficits," Board President Robert "Buzz" Trafford said.

Trafford said they'll work all summer to get the orchestra restored, but Smith said many of the musicians likely will leave Columbus for other jobs.

Stay tuned to NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com for more information on this developing story.

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