The Tribeca Festival is “monitoring the situation closely and following guidance from the city” as New York’s air quality deteriorates rapidly with smoke originating from extensive wildfires on the Canadian border, an unprecedented event in NYC.
Festival events tonight are indoors, including opening night film Kiss The Future. The red carpet is covered but still outside, which may become an issue as Mayor Eric Adams advised New Yorkers to limit outdoor activity. The Mayor was planning to honor festival co-founder Robert De Niro at a reception at the Tribeca Grill to take place just before the opening.
At a press conference today, Adams said the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has issued an air quality health advisory at least until midnight tonight. “We expect this to be a multiple-day event, so we expect that that advisory to remain in place for the next few days. Again, it is notoriously difficult to forecast smoke and these types of events,” he said.
Reps from city agencies alongside the Mayor urged New Yorkers to keep windows closed. “If you’re using an air conditioner, be sure to close the fresh air intake to prevent outdoor air from entering your home. And as the mayor said, latest smoke models show further deterioration in the early afternoon through tomorrow morning, with smoke conditions possibly looking better sometime tomorrow during the day, with improvements possibly tomorrow night into Friday morning.”
New York is under a haze today with visibility low and acrid air that burns the eyes. Masks largely abandoned since Covid have made a return. The WGA East called off picketing today.
“Right now, our health guidance to all New Yorkers is to limit outdoor activity as much as possible. This is especially true for older adults, people with underlying chronic medical conditions or issues with their immune systems, and young children who all may be at elevated risk. Avoid going outside unless you absolutely have to. For people who must be outdoors, a high quality mask like an N95, a KN95 or a KF94 is recommended,” Mayor Adams said.
The Tribeca Festival, which has benefitted the last two years from lovely June weather, runs through the 17th of the month. The smoke issues have impacted area flights, and seem likely to reduce attendance while they continue, especially for those on foot or public transportation.
More to come…
