I’m sipping my coffee and reading about the extreme heat wave in the eastern US, and folks, I almost spilled my coffee reading this one. An extreme heat wave is putting a damper on July Fourth celebrations in Washington, DC, with organizers for the Great American State Fair announcing the event will open at 12 p.m. ET today instead of 10 a.m. I mean, who can blame them? It’s hotter than a July sidewalk out there.
The fair, a 16-day exhibition showcasing the culture of US states and territories on the National Mall, shut down for several hours yesterday amid temperatures that, combined with the humidity, reached triple digits. I can only imagine how miserable it must be to be out in that heat for hours on end. Bless their hearts, the people who have to work in that heat.
A spokesperson for DC Fire & EMS said emergency responders had 44 “patient contacts” at the fair before it paused yesterday, though it’s unclear how many of those were for heat-related issues. CNN’s Derek Van Dam, who’s been covering the event, reported the fairgrounds offered little shade with few trees or other protection, with some attendees relying on umbrellas for relief. Somewhere in Atlanta, a producer thought this sounded terrifying, and now we’ve got a whole segment on the dangers of heat exhaustion.
Meanwhile, organizers for an America 250 Independence Day Parade, which was set for 10:30 a.m. in Washington, DC, said last night it has been canceled because of the heat. “This decision was made after extensive consultation with the National Park Service, the District of Columbia City Government and Freedom 250 and careful consideration of the safety of our participants, spectators, and staff as the top priority,” organizers wrote in a news release. You can’t make this stuff up, folks. A parade canceled because of heat? That’s a new one.
The parade is separate from the Trump-backed Freedom 250 celebrations, just to clarify. DC faces yet another triple-digit high temperature today and may see its hottest Fourth of July ever recorded, along with the threat of scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening because of the humidity. I’m no meteorologist, but that sounds like a recipe for disaster.
Organizers for the Great American State Fair, and the coinciding FIFA Fan Zone on the Mall, are encouraging guests to stay hydrated, and are distributing water throughout the site, along with providing other resources like cooling areas. That’s nice of them, I suppose. I mean, it’s the least they can do when it’s this hot outside.
In conclusion, it’s hot, hot, hot in DC today, and people are taking precautions. The Great American State Fair is opening late, and the America 250 Independence Day Parade has been canceled. I’m just going to stay inside, drink my coffee, and enjoy the air conditioning. And to all those people braving the heat, I say, stay cool, and don’t forget your sunscreen! 🌞
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
