The six-hour event, which typically features hundreds of vendors and artists, was supposed to take place Sunday but was canceled Friday evening due to inclement weather.
Festifall’s website and Twitter cited Parks and Recreation Director Jim Orr regarding the event’s preemptive cancellation.
“Safety is our No. 1 priority, and with the threat of high winds and rain, we felt it to be in everyone’s best interest to cancel,” Orr said in a statement.
The annual festival, hosted by the town of Chapel Hill, is considered a staple in the Chapel Hill arts community by many artists who participate.
While most of the vendors and artists interpreted the cancellation to mean completely ending all activities and performances, Local 506 decided otherwise.
The local venue, located on West Franklin Street, originally had an outdoor stage, but its owners decided to move the event to its own space when Festifall was canceled.
Owner Kippy Perkins said most of the bands feature staff from Local 506, making the show’s relocation an easy choice.
“They’re used to being in here and used to performing in here, and a couple of acts have performed in here, so it was easy to get them to say, ‘OK, yeah, let’s just try it and see how it goes,’” she said.
