Hundreds brave heat to attend Fulton Street Fair
FULTON, Mo. (KMIZ)
The 20th annual Fulton Street Fair kicked off Friday and the heat didn’t appear to deter hundreds of fairgoers from attending.
Intense heat has been hitting Mid-Missouri all week and Friday night was no exception. The ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather Team is predicting air temperatures to hit the mid-90s this weekend, with the heat index reaching triple-digits.
The Street Fair takes place in Fulton’s Historic Brick District, and the street temperature in the early evening on Friday reached 125 degrees and fell to 96 by 9 p.m. But attendees have found ways to stay cool.
Fulton resident Phillip Miller said he made sure to bring extra water for the event and made sure his children had enough sunscreen.
“I got four kids. I like bringing them out here, let them ride all the rides, seeing my family all come out here and just letting them experience what I got to experience growing up,” he said.
Fulton Police Chief Bill Ladwig said the city expects a few thousand people to attend the fair every year. He said the city is well-equipped to handle any heat-related issues.
“When it’s in the mid-90s and it’s… and the humidity is high, people forget to hydrate. They lose their electrolytes,” Ladwig said. “There’s a lot of great vendors here. Get some water, get some Gatorade, you should be fine."
No issues have been reported, as of Friday night. Hundreds of people gathered in the Brick District on Friday and several performers played on two stages, in addition to there being a carnival and food.
“(For) some of the kids this is the only entertainment they get in a year so it’s kind of special for them and I’m glad to see it continue,” Fulton Mayor Steve Myers said.
First-time attendee Demario Caruthers, of Mexico, Missouri, appeared to be enjoying the event.
“I’m coming out here to enjoy the food. That’s what I want to taste the food. No funnel cakes or no sweets (be) 'cause I don’t do that,” he said. “Pop out, it’s lit.”
The Fulton Street Fair continues on Saturday. Multiple street closures are required for the event to occur, including Court Street from St. Louis Avenue to 4th Street, 6th Street from Nichols to the Smith Moore Drive Thru near Market Street, and 5th Street from Nichols to Market Street.
Pre-registration for the Family Fun Run kicks off Saturday’s events at 7:30 a.m.
