Smoky conditions blanket Saskatoon during food festival

Many people were hoping to savour the smell of smoked meats when they went to River Landing for the YXE Eats food festival Friday.

Instead, people were hit with a wall of wildfire smoke.

Local food vendors who have been working the festival say they have noticed the smoke since it rolled in Thursday.

“I can definitely see it physically and I can smell it,” said Sarah Jeong.

“You can’t see far due to the smoke,” added Valeria Sanchez.

The smell of the smoke hasn’t completely overpowered the smell of the grill, however.

“You’ve got other guys cooking around you and the winds blowing, so you don’t notice (the wildfire smoke) too much,” said Shayman Sparvier, another local food vendor.

The smoke also may be affecting the number of customers who make their way to the food festival, according to vendor Peter Song.

“I think people are hesitant to come down to the festival due to the air,” said Song.

The smoky conditions are expected to stick around for a couple of days.