Festifall 2015 Canceled

Festifall 2015 has been canceled.

The 43rd annual Festifall Arts Festival was scheduled to take place on Sunday, October 4, 2015. In a statement, Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation Department Director Jim Orr said:

“Safety is our No. 1 priority, and with the threat of high winds and rain, we felt it to be in everyone’s best interest to cancel. We appreciate all of the hard work of our staff, vendors, artists, food trucks, and entertainers that went into the pre-planning of this event.”

More information about Festifall 2015 can be found at chapelhillfestifall.com.

The National Weather Service expects 2-4 inches of rain to fall in the Chapel Hill area by Sunday. That includes steady rain on Friday and Saturday with spottier rain on Sunday – both from Joaquin and from another system that’s also threatening North Carolina. Hurricane Joaquin may lead to more rain later in the weekend and into Monday.

Four inches of rain isn’t as much as other parts of the state are expecting to receive, but it’s still more than enough to create the threat of flash floods, downed trees, and other dangers. Orange County is under a flash flood watch from now through 8:00 Sunday evening. Orange County Commissioners declared a state of emergency on Thursday night, following Governor Pat McCrory’s decision to declare a state of emergency for the entire state earlier in the day.

National Weather Service meteorologist Scott Sharp says the danger won’t necessarily end when the rain does: there’s also the potential for flooding rivers and streams early next week, as all the rainwater washes into the waterways.

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