ELY, Minn. — The remainder of a northern Minnesota festival has been canceled after stormy weather tore through the area Friday evening.
Organizers said Friday that the Ely Blueberry/Art Festival, which would have run through Sunday, was canceled. Photos of Whiteside Park, where the festival was held, showed severe damage to booths, tents and trees.
Minnesota Power said late Saturday morning that crews were still working to restore power to about 2,000 homes in the areas affected by the storms. The NBC affiliate in the area, KBJR, reports that most of the homes in Ely lost power Friday night.
"As devastating as the storm was, we are grateful there were no injuries," organizers wrote on the festival's Facebook page.
However, festival organizers said some vendors "had complete losses, including merchandise." They thanked community members who helped vendors pack up.
Vendor Ryan Tischer, who was selling landscape photography prints at the festival, said nearly half the booths were destroyed.
According to the City of Ely's Facebook page, the city will waive "all transient merchant and food truck licenses for the weekend." Officials thanked the community for letting vendors move to alternate locations.
As cleanup continued Saturday morning, festival organizers asked the public to avoid coming to Whiteside Park. They said keeping foot and vehicle traffic to a minimum will help the cleanup process go more smoothly.
"Thank you to the entire community for your support following the storm and as we continue the work today," organizers wrote.