Organizers of the Juneau Maritime Festival say they are postponing Saturday’s big event.
Brian Holst of the Juneau Economic Development Council says it won’t be a fun or safe event with a forecast of high winds. Southeast winds 15 to 25 miles per hour are predicted with gusts increasing to around 40 miles per hour after midnight Friday.
“We have tents in the wind. We’re afraid that a tent could blow down,” Holst says.
He also worries about boats that would be open to visitors at the Seadrome Dock and Goldbelt Dock as Gastineau Channel waters get whipped up into three-foot seas.
“It would be challenging, perhaps even dangerous for people to get onboard those ships,” Holst says.
He is also concerned about the canoeists who, “while very intrepid, it just isn’t reasonable to ask them to take any risks in coming across the channel,” Holst says.
This would be the third annual Juneau Maritime Festival meant to commemorate Juneau’s maritime history, culture, and commerce.
Holst says the event has been rescheduled for Friday, May 18th from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Marine Park and Plaza.
He says the day was selected to minimize conflicts with other community events. Only one cruise ship will be in Juneau that day.
