Strong wind shuts down day 2 of Edmonton's Heritage Festival

Strong wind shuts down day 2 of Edmonton's Heritage Festival

Festival says tents were blowing away

It's not been an ideal return to Hawrelak Park for the Edmonton Heritage Festival.

Organizers were forced to close early on the second day because of strong winds and ordered attendees to evacuate the area immediately.

"The tents are becoming unsafe and have been blowing away," the festival said on its Facebook page. "For those at the park, please evacuate immediately towards ETS park-and-ride."

For the last few years, Heritage Fest was held in Borden Park, as Hawrelak Park underwent extensive renovation. This was the first year the festival is back at Hawrelak.

A large chunk of central Alberta is currently under a wind warning, with expected windspeeds on Sunday reaching up to 90 kilometres an hour.

"With recent heavy rainfall and saturated soils, trees may be more vulnerable to damage," Environment Canada said in its alert.

"Winds will weaken this evening. Local utility outages are possible. High-sided vehicles will be pushed around by the wind. Some property damage is possible. "

Emily Rae Pasiuk is a reporter for CBC Edmonton with a keen interest in Alberta's energy sector, the intersection between politics and daily life, and breaking news. Emily reported in Saskatchewan for three years before moving to Edmonton in 2020. Tips? Ideas? Reach her at emily.pasiuk@cbc.ca.