It’s fall, and in Atlanta, that means lots of outdoor fairs and festivals. While weather is the usual culprit when those events run into trouble, this week we’re facing a cloud of chemical gas from a fire at BioLab in Conyers.
The Sunday fire created the plume of chemical smoke, and agencies have been monitoring the air quality since then as crews try to neutralize the site. The Georgia Emergency Management Agency has advised anyone who notices a chlorine odor in the air to limit their time outdoors. So far, air quality testing has not detected concentrations that would pose safety concerns to the general public.
While event planners and organizers are monitoring the situation, most weekend activities seem poised to go on as planned.
This weekend sees the return of the Decatur Book Festival, with the keynote conversation with Joyce Carol Oates on Friday night and a full slate of authors and activities on Saturday. There are no plans to alter that schedule.
Credit: Christina Matacotta
Credit: Christina Matacotta
“As of right now we are planning to go forward as scheduled,” said the festival’s executive director Leslie Wingate on Thursday morning. “We will send a communication out about this, but right now there are no plans to alter anything.”
The team at Atlanta Art Fair, set to take place Oct. 3-6 at Pullman Yards, has said they’ll keep a close eye on the situation, but plans to proceed with tonight’s opening as scheduled.
Netherworld haunted house in Stone Mountain, which takes place largely indoors, will keep the haunts coming as planned this weekend.
Events on the Atlantic Green at Atlantic Station will go on as planned, too, with Whole World Theatre’s Improv on the Green kicking off a weekend of outdoor events at 7 p.m. Oct. 3. That’s followed by the EVECE Foundation’s Walk for Life on Saturday morning and Lifeline Animal Project’s Adoptoberfest from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. Find more on all of those events at Atlantic Station’s website.
Representatives for the Atlanta Fair have said that it will open as scheduled at 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4. The fair is set up in the parking lot across from Georgia State University’s Center Parc Stadium (formerly Turner Field) at 688 Central Ave. SW, Atlanta. Find out more at atlantafair.net.
The AJC has reached out to event and festival organizers and will continue to update as we learn more.
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