Despite wildfire smoke, crowds turn out for Granville Blues and Jazz Festival in Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) — Smoke from Canadian wildfires pushed Milwaukee to its worst air quality levels on record this week, but that did not stop people from attending the Granville Blues and Jazz Festival on Saturday evening.

An air quality alert remained in effect as wildfire smoke drifted back into southeast Wisconsin. Even so, hundreds of people gathered for live music, food and vendors at the annual festival.

"I do think the quality of the air has been affecting me personally, breathing-wise, but people still make a way to get outside and get together," vendor Sole Johnson said.

Festival organizers said they closely monitored air quality throughout the week and were prepared to adjust plans if conditions worsened.

"We were monitoring that. We had even considered starting later if it would have continued to persist like it was," Granville Business Improvement District Executive Director Neva Hill said.

The festival is continuing through the weekend, and organizers said they will keep watching the forecast and air quality.

"We’ll definitely keep an eye on the weather because the top priority for us is to make sure people are safe when they’re coming out to enjoy an event such as this," 9th District Alderwoman Larresa Taylor said.

For many attending the festival, spending time with family, friends and neighbors remained the priority despite the haze.

"It’s a time of enjoyment, a time for us to reflect on one another and a time to enjoy the festivities," festivalgoer Clarence Thomas said.