Plenty of people drop in for Rain Day
Not long after this year’s Rain Day kicked off in Waynesburg Commons, they found out this year’s festival would live up to the name.
After a rainless Rain Day last year, the first drop fell this year at 11:21 a.m., according to the Rain Day Facebook page.
It was welcome news to the crowd at the annual festival, celebrated each year on July 29 — the birthdate of Caleb Ely, a local farmer in the late 19th century. Ely had remarked to local pharmacist William Allison that it always seemed to rain on his birthday. Allison began keeping records, and a tradition was born.
Festivalgoers fanned out through the park Tuesday, enjoying music, playing children’s games, listening to storytimes, checking out arts and crafts vendors, or just enjoying shade — from an umbrella, or a tree.
While most umbrellas in attendance Tuesday were visual props, Rain Day hand fans were everywhere to be seen, on a day where the heat index threatened to top 100 degrees.
This year’s Miss Rain Day Camryn Hawfield was strolling through the park Tuesday afternoon, a break from a packed schedule that included reading to children and judging the Miss Rain Drop pageants for younger contestants.
“I really love whenever we can go get food and drink lemonade,” she said. “But I also really enjoyed being there for the Rain Day pageants this year. All of the contestants were wonderful, and I can’t wait to see what those little girls do.”
Hailey Barndell, 7, of Smithfield sat for a caricature drawn by Jeff Harris, before he turned the finished product to her.
Her verdict: “I like it!”
Her favorite part of Rain Day is face painting, as was evidenced by the Hello Kitty design on her face.
Then she remembered the food. And a few other things.
Her final statement: “I like everything.”