HOWELL, Mich. – Storms tore through downtown Howell Saturday night, prompting organizers of Howell’s annual Melon Festival to cancel part of the night’s activities.
The storms sent festival attendees and vendors ducking for cover inside local businesses.
“Everybody was running for cover,” said Michael Qualls, a manager of Howell’s Mainstreet Winery. “A lot of people came into the winery and we just welcomed them in and just waited until it blew through.”
The wind gusts blew out a front window of the historic Howell Opera House. Built in 1881, the opera house is a three-story historic landmark and one of the area’s oldest buildings.
In a Facebook post, the Livingston Arts Council, which owns the opera house, shared a link where community members can make donations to help with the repairs.
“We’ve got the whole upstairs that we’re trying to restore,” said Gayle Down, a Livingston Arts Council board member. “We have a campaign going on for that, so that was not a good blow to have this happen too.”
Down said the window was around 100 years old and will be difficult to replace. The opera house serves as a venue for a variety of community events, including fundraisers, art exhibits, concerts, and more.
“We have entertainment all year and activities for youth and children and for everyone, so it’ll be awful to not open up as quickly as we can,” Down said.
Organizers of the Melon Festival said in a post that the festival will proceed as planned on Sunday, though some activities or events may be moved due to the storm damage.