Rain Day submerged in sunshine
Ella Kincer, 5, and her brother, Coleman, 2, take cover from the sun on Rain Day using their custom-made umbrellas. Ella won the umbrella-decorating contest with her mermaid umbrella.
Aubrey Holmes, 3, stands under her “circus” umbrella with her mother, Amy, as it’s announced she finished second in the umbrella contest.
Claire Kreider, Miss Rain Day 2015, and Robert Rohanna, the hat bet challenger, help to judge the umbrella-decorating contest.
Mike Jones/Observer-Reporter The umbrella contest participants line up on the Rain Day stage in front of the Greene County Courthouse.
Zoey Zollars, 4, of Waynesburg, is surrounded by goats while feeding them in the petting zoo area next to the Greene County Courthouse.
WAYNESBURG – There were many umbrellas opened on the streets of Waynesburg during the annual Rain Day festival Wednesday, although they were more useful in blocking rays of sunshine rather than raindrops.
As of press time late Wednesday, no rain was recorded in the borough, which would make it just the 28th time in the 142-year history of Rain Day there was no rain, and the first time since 2012.
Sunshine drenched the festival and brought a steady crowd to High Street to enjoy the annual street fair.
Claire Kreider, who was crowned Miss Rain Day 2015, was seen walking with a red and white umbrella as she greeted the crowd. She called the experience “surreal” and appeared ready to do anything just short of a rain dance to encourage some precipitation.
“It’s great to see the support of the community,” she said. “It’s been fantastic so far. We’re hoping and praying with our fingers cross.”
Other guests of honor, including one with a vested interest in having a dry day, were also optimistic a few raindrops might eventually fall from the sky.
By noon Wednesday, Robert Rohanna, one of the hat bet challengers, wasn’t ready to declare victory over Waynesburg Mayor Duncan Berryman. Rohanna, who grew up in the Waynesburg area and is a professional golfer living part-time in Tampa, Fla., said he was wondering if the heat and humidity would spark a pop-up rain shower he typically experiences during the sweltering Florida summers.
“It’s gorgeous, then a storm just pops up and cools things down,” Rohanna said while sporting his TaylorMade golf hat he was eager to lose. “Hopefully, it does rain to cool everyone off a little.”
But it remained sweltering for most of the day and those walking around with umbrellas used them for to stay cool as temperatures reached into the 90s.
It was the first year Aubrey Holmes, 3, participated in the popular umbrella-decorating contest and her circus big top umbrella came in handy in the stifling heat.
“She got a little impatient because it was a little hot up there,” her mother, Amy Holmes, said. “At least we have the shade going around with us.”
Ella Kincer, 5, of Waynesburg, won the umbrella-decorating contest with her mermaid umbrella while Aubrey was runner-up and Ashanti Cole finished third.
The 5Kidz Kandy store won best storefront window, while Catholic Charities and Domestic Violence finished second and third, respectively.
The mayor wasn’t deterred by the forecast and said he was the festive atmosphere made for another enjoyable event in town.
“It’s always good to see as many people come up and enjoy the rain day festivities. I know those in attendance are hoping for rain, and maybe we’ll get lucky,” Berryman said in the afternoon. “Hopefully it will happen and then I can tell you, ‘I told ya so.'”