Hazardous air quality forecast for much of Minnesota Thursday as fires grow

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Smoke from wildfires that continue to burn in northern Minnesota and Canada has migrated through the rest of the state, prompting some Minnesotans to postpone outdoor events.

That was the case for Suzanna Jack, who’s turning 29 on Friday. She planned to do a pop diva-themed group bike ride through south Minneapolis with about 50 of her friends to celebrate her birthday. Some of her friends came from out of town to attend.

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“It's a huge bummer, especially because we've had really nice weather comparatively so far this summer,” she said.

Perennial Cycle Bicycle Shop was leading the group ride and told Jack on Wednesday it was postponing the bike ride until next month because of poor air quality. According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, air quality in eastern Minnesota — which includes the Twin Cities — has reached hazardous levels.

The agency expects smoke to remain across the state through Thursday and advises Minnesotans to avoid outdoor activity and stay inside.

Jack is now shifting to a dinner party at Dreamstate Cafe. She lives in the south Minneapolis area and says the cancellation is a good way to highlight local restaurants and businesses that can host events indoors.

“It's an opportunity to let other Twin Cities businesses do their thing and be wonderful hosts and quick on their feet to respond,” she said. “So it's been heartwarming knowing that Dreamstate so quickly stepped in.”

Other outdoor events have also been called off because of the smoke. Lowertown Sounds, which hosts free live music at Mears Park in St. Paul, cancelled its show scheduled for Thursday evening. Organizers of the Maple Grove Days Parade, which was planned to happen at 6 p.m. Thursday, also cancelled the event.

A sold-out Thursday concert at Mystic Lake Amphitheater has been rescheduled to Sep. 5. American rock band Creed was supposed to perform.

“Scott, Mark, Brian and Flip were incredibly excited to perform for the sold-out crowd but given the environmental conditions and the challenges they create for the band, crew, venue, staff and attendees, the decision has been made to move the performance,” the venue wrote in a statement on social media.

But some are still slated for this weekend. As of Thursday afternoon, organizers of Minnesota Yacht Club Festival say they’re monitoring weather conditions and plan to proceed with the event. The festival will be located at Harriet Island Regional Park in St. Paul.

“The health and safety of our patrons, artists, and staff remains our top priority,” the Yacht Club Festival organizers said in an emailed statement. “We are working closely with public safety and our City partners to continue to monitor conditions, and fortunately, the forecast shows improvement by tomorrow. At this point, we plan to proceed with the festival this weekend.”

The Minneapolis Aquatennial will kick off Saturday as planned, with organizers saying on Thursday they don’t expect wildfire smoke to disrupt events this weekend.

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Nicole Ki

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Some Minnesotans are calling off planned outdoor outings, from birthday parties to music shows, because of the poor air quality from wildfire smoke. But others, like the Minnesota Yacht Club Festival, are keeping plans for now.

Wildfire smoke disrupts outdoor parties, concerts across Twin Cities

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