With nearly the entire Chicago area under a rare risk level four out of five for severe weather Thursday, some outdoor events are canceling plans.
In addition to a flood watch for the entire Chicago area warning of a potential for rainfall rates that could at times exceed 1-to-3 inches per hour, the National Weather Service has also issued a tornado watch for the vast majority of the region until 9 p.m, a high wind warning and severe thunderstorm warnings in some counties.
The 45th Annual Fiestas Patronales Puertorriqueñas in Chicago’s Humboldt Park announced on social media it would not open on Thursday due to the weather, instead pushing back its official start to 3 p.m. on Friday.
“Due to forecasted increment weather conditions, the 45th Annual Fiestas Patronales Puertorriqueñas will not open TODAY, Thursday, June 11,” organizers said in a post on social media on Thursday afternoon. “The safety of our attendees, vendors, performers, and staff is our top priority. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to celebrating an amazing weekend together!”
An event called VinHausa — that combines yoga and house music — originally set to start at 6:30 p.m. at Soldier Field was also postponed.
“Tonight’s VinHausa event at Soldier Field has been postponed due to severe weather. We are currently working with the Soldier Field team to reschedule the event for a new date. All existing tickets will automatically remain valid for the rescheduled event,” an update on the event’s website said. “Refunds will be available for anyone who cannot attend the new date.”
Jimmy Eat World was set to perform at Huntington Park Pavillion on Chicago’s Northerly Island, but organizers announced just after 5 p.m. that the show was postponed to August 20 because of the storms.
“All tickets will remain valid for the rescheduled date. More information will be emailed to ticketholders directly,” organizers said in the post.
Mumford & Sons, originally set to take the stage at Wrigley Field at 6:30 p.m., will now not go on until 10 p.m., the band said in an announcement on social media.
Organizers first announced the opening of gates would be delayed in a post on social media shortly after 4 p.m. that stated “we are actively monitoring the weather forecast for tonight’s show. Gates are delayed. We will continue to share updates as information becomes available Thank you for your patience and understanding.”
Then, around 5 p.m., the band shared a post on social media that said gates would not open until 8:30 p.m. and the show would start at 10 p.m. without openers.
“The show will begin at 10:00PM and unfortunately as a result, @dylangosset and @caamp will no longer perform their scheduled sets. Any further updates will be shared here as soon as we have them,” the band said in the post. “We massively appreciate your patience and thank our crew and everyone at Wrigley for their continued hard work in order to deliver a show for us all tonight.”
The White Sox are also scheduled to take on the Atlanta Braves at 6:40 p.m. at Chicago’s Rate Field, though the team has yet to release any updates on if weather will impact the game as of 4:30 p.m.
The dangerous storms are likely to also create hurdles for the crowds of people trying to get to the events.
