ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. (WXYZ) — Packed and ready for the perfect summer night — until it wasn’t.
Brittney Perkins and family made the drive from Pontiac to Borden Park in Rochester Hills for her fifth Festival of the Hills. The moment she arrived, she knew the show was off.
“I’m like wow OK, nobody’s here. And then I saw the little bulletin they were going to postpone it,” Perkins said. “We came all this way, we packed up, we’re were so excited."
The fireworks were postponed by the city of Rochester Hills mid-day Wednesday over concerns about the air quality. The city said in a Facebook post:
"The health and safety of our residents remains our number one priority. In the best interest of everyone's well-being and after careful consideration with area experts and public safety officials, we have decided to postpone this evening’s fireworks show."
Perkins’ daughter Mariah Travis, who was celebrating her 11th birthday, wasn't the only one upset. Many families like the Petrushas of Waterford also made the trip only to learn the fireworks were a no go. They played on the playground for a bit but figured it was better to limit the fun outside.
“My daughter is asthmatic, so I was a little worried about coming out anyways with the air quality, but we were going to make it work,” Jessica Petrusha said.
The air quality was impacting lots of summer activities across metro Detroit. The nearby Troy Aquatic Center was also closed for the day. The empty chairs and empty pool will have to wait a bit longer until the smoke clears, and summer fun resumes.
“The kids were a bit disappointed, but we’ll see fireworks soon,” Petrusha said.
Rochester Hills hopes to have a makeup date for the fireworks very soon. In the meantime, doctors say it may be a good idea to wear a mask like an N-95 while outside.
