Residents celebrate rain on Waynesburg’s ‘moist’ important tradition
Steve Barrett
Miss Rain Day 2021 Emily Bennett and Special Events Commission coordinator Athena Bowman share a laugh at the SEC booth in Monument Park in Waynesburg during the annual Rain Day Festival held Thursday. It officially rained on Rain Day, making it 116 times out of the past 148 years that rain has fallen on Waynesburg on July 29.
Steve Barrett
Comedian and magician Howard Mincone entertains 2021 Miss Rain Day Emily Bennett with a magic trick during the Rain Day Festival in Waynesburg Thursday.
Mother Nature dropped some rain throughout the day Thursday in Waynesburg. And amidst the occasional fleeting showers, foreboding blackened clouds and total lack of sunshine, local residents were ecstatic.
That is because Thursday was Rain Day, a day steeped in lore and a historic, landmark tradition that has given Greene County nationwide recognition.
Rain Day celebrates the legacy that it has rained on many July 29ths in Waynesburg; in fact, before this year it has rained 115 out of the previous 147 years.
There was concern, however, that an ongoing dry spell would continue this year, as no rainfall had been documented locally on the past three July 29ths. Fortunately, 2021 officially ended the losing streak when the first rainfall was reported at 12:09 p.m.
Early Thursday afternoon, Waynesburg Mayor Greg Leathers stood in Monument Park where the Rain Day Festival activities were being held, grinning like the cat that ate the rain-soaked canary.
“It feels good to win my first Rain Day hat bet, and it definitely is great that we snapped the losing streak,” he said. “The tradition is alive and well.”
As is tradition, Leathers placed a hat bet with a celebrity where if it rained, he would win a hat, and if it didn’t rain, the mayor would have to give up a hat. This year’s hat bet was with Josh Reedy, guitar player for Thomas Rhett.
Leathers said he is stepping down as mayor in January due to accepting future employment elsewhere, and he is confident his name will be in the Rain Day record books.
“I’m pretty sure I’ll be the only Waynesburg mayor who batted 100 percent on Rain Day bets,” he said with a smile.
Leathers commended the Special Events Commission and the numerous individuals, businesses and agencies that contributed to make this year’s Rain Day Festival event a success, which was held at Monument and Fountain parks near Waynesburg University.
“I like the setup here in the parks,” Leathers said. “Having Rain Day in the parks gives the event a nice community vibe. It’s more spread out. And we are enjoying a terrific turnout so far.”
Thursday’s festival marked a return to being an in-person event following 2020’s festival that was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dozens of tents were set up inside the parks from various businesses and nonprofits, while the surrounding streets were lined with food trucks and children’s games.
This year’s festival featured performances by numerous local music artists, including Jessica Torres, Cassidy Paige, Jeff Grable, Drew Johnson, Lexi VanDyne, Tres Lads, Tyler Jeffries, Trenton Antill, Greg Short and Friends and the headlining act, Quick Exit.
Rain Day also featured performances by the Barb Moschetta Dancers and the Miss Rain Day contestants, a demonstration by American Judo Hapkido, children’s games by Waynesburg First Assembly, the Diaper Derby and much more.
Other traditions held Thursday included the umbrella contest and Baby Rain Day, as well as the presentation of the Jack McCracken Award.
History was once again prevalent on Rain Day, with a tribute to Company K. Each year, the festivities are silenced to pay a moment’s tribute to the men of Company K, 2nd Battalion, 110th Infantry who were from Waynesburg. In France, during World War I on Rain Day 1918, nearly half of the 250 Greene County men were either killed or wounded.
As Greene County legend John O’Hara once wrote, “On that Rain Day in l918, it rained bullets on the men of Company K.”