It had to happen.
Party in the Park has been cancelled for tonight, due to bad weather. While the rain hadn't hit when the decision had to be made, windy conditions meant set up couldn't start.
And that wind is expected to be followed by heavy rain and thunderstorms — both unsafe conditions for those working the event. The forecast is calling for 20 km/hr winds tonight.
Kyle Williams, executive director of the Chilliwack Downtown BIA, said it's always a hard decision to make. They always wait until the very last minute, hopeful that the forecasts are incorrect.
This is the second time the Party in the Park has had to be cancelled this summer. There will be one chance left for the party, next Friday.
While the Party in the Park has been cancelled, there is still a chance to see at least a few of the acts on stage tonight. The Rub will be at Triple Play tonight, and the Lounge Hounds and the Hornets will be at Chances Casino.
Host Trevor MacDonald posted on Facebook that he will be dropping by both of those events.
"Please come out and support these venues," he wrote, hoping that people will share the news and support these local artists.
The full release from the BIA reads:
"The Downtown Chilliwack BIA, along with the Party in the Park Organizing Committee and its partners, have reluctantly cancelled Party in the Park for tonight, August 14.
Despite acceptable weather Friday morning, the forecast for this afternoon and evening is for heavy winds, rain and possible thunder storms, all of which can cause problems with the production of the event.
The Organizing Committee held back on the decision until the last possible moment, but was already receiving cancellations from some of the groups and feature items as a result of the potential wind and lightning.
“With winds of 20km/h or higher, large tents and bouncy castles are unable to set up, and smaller tents will not last long either” explains Kyle Williams, Executive Director, “The rain, while tolerable, proves to be more of an inconvenience than anything, but that gets magnified with the threat of lightning and a lack of tents.”
Our first priority is the safety of our visitors and that of the people who help put on Party in the Park.
The Organizing Committee and its partners would like to thank everyone for their continued support of Party in the Park, and hope to see everyone back for the final date of 2015 – next Friday, August 21."