Many turn out in sweltering heat for weekend festivals in Chicago
Extreme heat is expected to hit the Chicago area again this week, and some felt the sweltering, humid temperatures on Sunday afternoon.
The Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications pushed out a heat advisory Sunday afternoon, which the office said will last until Monday evening.
Festivals across the city went on as usual, but those who went had to deal with sticky conditions.
Wicker Park Fest was among the events held this weekend in the eponymous Chicago neighborhood. Handheld fans and Italian ice were among the ways people were beating the heat.
"Sweltering," said Wisdom Henry.
"Brutal," said her boyfriend, Kyle Glenn. "I've been here for a couple of years. We've been enjoying Wicker Park Fest as many times as I've been here. So I thought it'd be a nice day. It is. It's just a little bit hot."
The OEMC on put out a push alert on their app Sunday afternoon alerting the masses of a heat advisory. The office said the temperature is expecting the heat index to be between 105 and 109 degrees.
"It's still a little toasty," said Wicker Park festgoer Amber Vanhemel.
The OEMC said hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses.
"It was a lot," said Toi Wise. "The humidity, that's really what it was."
Wise and several other people decided to sweat it out Sunday at the festival in the old Cabrini-Green area.
Wise had a handheld fan with her for the occasion.
"From the beginning, this fan has been my best friend all day," she said. "So the humidity and the heat; just making sure I stay hydrated."
The two-day Faces of Fitness festival bills itself as "Lollapalooza, but for fitness. It features several outdoor workout classes, from Pilates and dance cardio to a workout with former Chicago Bears cornerback Charles "Peanut" Tillman.
Wes Diveney said the energy was high at Faces of Fitness, and so was the humidity.
"It's always hot during the summer, but I mean, everybody's pretty prepared," Diveney said, "and here's a lot of water hanging around, so everybody's hydrated and able to keep themselves cool."
Wise emphasized the need for perseverance.
"You push through. We came out here, you know, participating in the different fitness activities they had had going on, so take your breaks during that — you know, drink some water and you know, just kind of push through the heat," she said. "It's Chicago, summertime. You know it's going to be humid, it's going to be hot."
The OEMC said anyone who is outside for an extended amount of time should be sure to drink plenty of fluids and take breaks in air conditioning.
Potentially dangerous heat is expected to impact the Chicago area for the next couple of days.
