Excessive heat caused a change of plans for many events across the Valley

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The combination of extreme heat and bad air quality has caused a major change of plans in the Valley. Several events, including an outdoor concert, a backpack giveaway, and a long running tradition in Clovis have been canceled or postponed.

On Thursday, in Old Town Clovis, most people were hiding where the sun couldn't find them. Chares Lotz was one of them.

"You're out here on blacktop at 5:30 in the afternoon, it can be pretty warm," he said.

Scorching hot is a better description-- combined with bad air quality, it's a recipe for health concerns and enough to shut down Friday's Farmers Market for the first time in 27 years.

Carol Lester with the Business Organization of Old Town said, "We felt it was the right thing to do for the well-being of everybody."

Organizers had the same idea for two other events; Back to School Night, which was set for Friday at Eaton Plaza was pushed back so kids will have to wait a couple more weeks to collect free backpacks and school supplies. Rock the Mall at the Sierra Vista Mall was also postponed. It was stopped mid-setup on Thursday and rescheduled for September 8th.

Back in Old Town, Geoff Weaver said, "It's miserable."

He's a foreman with Center Line Stripping. He's accustomed to the heat but for him, it's even more extreme. His job can amplify the temperature by a couple hundred degrees.

"This is what we do to make a living, so we have to deal with it," Weaver added.

Tom Frost owns a shop called Oak Creek Creations. He usually benefits from the Farmer's market but this week's, he said probably wouldn't have been a good one.

Frost said, "When it's six o'clock in the evening and it's still 109, who wants to walk outside on the pavement."

With fewer people walking around, Frost said he would have closed early.

Back to School Night at Eaton Plaza will be held on August 12th.