Rain Day lives up to its name in booming fashion
Maddie Hinerman, 8, of Waynesburg, parades her entry "Shoppin In The Rain," on stage during the Rain Day Festival umbrella contest in Waynesburg.
Abbi, 6, and Jonathan Davis, 9, both from Carmichaels along with Timmy Thomas, 8, of Waynesburg celebrate after winning the umbrella contest with their entry "It's Raining Moore's Hot Dogs".
Tabitha DeBolt helps her 5 year old daughter Ashlee Wilson play the Lazy River game, at the Rain Day Festival, on Friday, in Waynesburg.
WAYNESBURG 鈥� The only wet spot in downtown Waynesburg at noon on Rain Day was the dunking booth.
It was only a matter of time, however, before the day lived up to its name.
The 鈥渞ain鈥� aspect of Rain Day finally came with a boom in the evening, as a windy thunderstorm rolled through at 5:20 p.m., toppling tents and sending many vendors packing. The headlining entertainment act for the evening was canceled.
It now has rained 113 out of 137 years in the borough on July 29.
Located at the far end of the blocked-off High Street, Mayor Blair Zimmerman took his turn getting dunked as temperatures on the midtown clock at First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Greene County hit 94 degrees.
鈥淚f it rains or doesn鈥檛 rain, it蘑菇视频 always a good day,鈥� Zimmerman said following his turn in the booth.
The booth was sponsored by the Waynesburg Quarterback Club, which also was selling Waynesburg Raiders gear. Amy Caldwell, a member of the club, said the booth had been popular, with clusters of people gathering to drunk the different personalities.
Among those who took a turn were Scott Headlee, principal of Waynesburg Central Elementary School, complete with a tie. The high school football coach was also taking a turn in the afternoon.
Despite a lack of precipitation in the early afternoon, scores of people flocked to the Greene County seat to listen to bands, play children蘑菇视频 games and purchase lemonade and food.
Numerous booths ranging from political committees and businesses to vendors selling items such as jewelry and candles lined the downtown streets.
Joanna Allen, Miss Rain Day 2011, said winning the crown was a dream come true for her. The 16-year-old daughter of George and Georgeanna Allen of Waynesburg said she was having the time of her life despite the extreme heat.
She has attempted to win the crown in two prior years, but had been unsuccessful.
鈥淭his is a dream come true and I鈥檓 experiencing it. The third time is a charm,鈥� Allen said.
Waynesburg police chief Tim Hawfield was again preparing for the annual husband-calling contest, which offered a prize of $500. Hawfield said past contests haven鈥檛 had many participants, but this year he said the prize money is a significant enticement.
Among the judges of the contest were District Attorney Marjorie Fox and Assistant District Attorney Linda Chambers.
The contest gives wives 15 seconds to 鈥渃all鈥� their husband, but they can鈥檛 use profanity and/or suggestive language. This year the contestants were judged on costumes and must answer questions on 鈥渃ountry redneck hillbilly鈥� and 鈥淎mericana鈥� categories.
Hawfield said one of the more memorable incidents from past Rain Days included a time in the early 1980s when a group of firefighters decided to create their own rain by blowing a hose over the old county office building thinking the water would disperse as it went over the building.
That didn鈥檛 occur, and a 鈥減oor old lady got slammed with the undispersed water,鈥� Hawfield said.
鈥淭here are a lot of activities. It蘑菇视频 a reason to have a party,鈥� Hawfield said.
The event began years ago when a farmer commented that it always seemed to rain on July 29.
Other events included a Baby Rain Day contest and an umbrella contest.
Throughout the years, various celebrities have made hat bets with the mayor over whether or not it will rain.
They have included Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu, former Pittsburgh broadcaster Myron Cope, actor Will Ferrell and businessman Donald Trump.
This year the bet was with Josh Koscheck, an Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter and Waynesburg native who now lives in Fresno, Calif.