BURNT HILLS – The annual Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake BPA Flag Day Parade has been canceled because of the current Air Quality Index stemming from the Canadian wildfires.
Members of the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Business and Professional Association Board and Parade Committee announced they met and decided to cancel the 2023 Flag Day Parade Thursday afternoon because of the high Air Quality Index numbers reported by the Environmental Protection Agency.
“We regret having to make this decision, and will make every effort to reschedule for a later date,” the announcement from the committee stated Thursday.
The 22nd annual parade was originally scheduled to step off Thursday evening. As of 3 p.m. Thursday the Air Quality Index reported through the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) AirNow.gov website was 156, which is considered to be in the “unhealthy” range. At that level, members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health risks and some members of the general public may also experience health effects.
The EPA reports that smoke from wildfires in Canada is currently moving hundreds of miles into the United States, putting air quality into unhealthy or worse categories throughout the Northeast and mid-Atlantic.
The fireworks originally scheduled for Thursday were also canceled because of health concerns.
This parade was first held in June 2002. It grew to include fireworks in 2004 and the One Mile Road Race in 2009.
Categories: News, Schenectady County, Scotia Glenville
