Festival for the Eno, for 46 years the Independence Weekend outdoor salute to music, crafts and the river in Durham, will not be held this year. There will be a benefit concert for Eno River Association (ERA) Sep. 12 at the Carolina Theatre downtown Durham following an afternoon of outdoor activities at the Downtown Plaza.
The changes were a response to a changing climate and a commitment to the long-term health of the river, said Ryan Fehrman, executive director of the association.
“In the grand scheme of things, a festival isn’t all that important when people’s lives and livelihoods are at stake,” Fehrman wrote in a blog post March 1. “If Chantyal had hit 24-36 hours earlier, the festival would have lost six figures and our ‘fundraiser’ would have blown a huge hole in our budget.”
Tropical Storm Chantal brought heavy rains and flooding in the Carolinas. The flooding caused the Eno River, which lies in both northern Durham and Orange to rise over 25 feet, the highest ever recorded. Eighty people were rescued by boat in Durham County, and another 50 in Chapel Hill. Eno River State Park, for example, remained closed due to damage from storm flooding.
The 100 degree reality. Beyond the financial risks, Fehrman said there is a human cost of the July heat. The festival relies on over 600 volunteers, two-thirds of whom are seniors. “We are asking our volunteers, sponsors, artists and staff to brave temperatures that can often feel like 100 degrees or more. That scares the bejesus out of me,” he wrote.
The decision acknowledges a reality many North Carolinians have felt in recent years: the 4th of July is simply becoming too hot to safely host thousands of people outdoors for a multi-day event. Last year, July was the hottest month in Raleigh with average highs around 90 degrees.
Durham’s West Point on the Eno city park is undergoing construction and will be closed until next spring.
ERA will re-evaluate fundraising plans next spring.